Red Collisions
by bulletproofweeks
Summary: Sequel to Red Roses: The CBI team's newest case becomes personal when Teresa Lisbon is kidnapped. Jane and Lisbon explore their new relationship while Rigsby and Van Pelt try to reconcile their problems. Established Jisbon, Rigsby/Van Pelt, COMPLETE
1. Personality Quizzes

**Red Collisions**

Chapter 1: Personality Quizzes

Monday, 6:00 AM

"Do you think I'm more romantic or spontaneous?" Jane asked curiously as he leaned against Lisbon's kitchen counter, his eyes trained on the magazine in his hands. He was wearing his usual black vest with a clean, blue buttoned down shirt that seemed to match his eyes perfectly. His curly blond hair was still wet from his shower and a cheery smile graced his lips.

Lisbon, on the other hand, was half-asleep, her hands going through the motions of making coffee. Her eyes were glazed over and weary, and her hair was a tangled mess. She was wearing a slightly over-sized T-shirt with the logo of a beach resort printed on the back along with a pair of thin, black flannel pants. She knew she wasn't exactly flattering in her pajamas, but Jane didn't seem to notice, enthralled in whatever nonsensical questionnaire he was answering in the magazine.

"Why are you here so early?" Lisbon asked, still frowning after being woken up by relentless knocking instead of her alarm clock. Jane shrugged, meeting her gaze.

"No one else would let me in." He replied, making it sound like it was her fault for answering the door. Lisbon was too tired to keep frowning, so she resumed her dazed expression, half hoping this was a dream and she was still in bed sleeping. "Romantic of spontaneous?" Jane furthered, as if the answer was monumentally important.

"Why can't you be both?" Lisbon remarked, watching as the coffee was being made.

"Personality Quizzes don't work like that." Jane reasoned, smiling at Lisbon's vacant expression. He truly enjoyed messing with her in the morning. It had become the only time they were actually alone together and Jane took full advantage of it, arriving early every day. Jane wondered why Lisbon even let him in.

It had been about three weeks since Jane and Lisbon had first kissed, and during those three weeks, the CBI team had dealt with an onslaught of cases ranging from suspected suicides to kidnappings to triple homicides. Cho had been right: the state of California _is_ incapable of maintaining peace for any length of time.

The team somehow managed to solve every case, but only after hours of overtime, short lunches, and very little sleep… and as a result, Jane and Lisbon had spent very little time together outside of work and had yet to go on a third date. As soon as they closed a case, a new one presented itself.

That's not to say that things hadn't changed between Lisbon and Jane. They had.

"Where'd you get that anyways?" Lisbon questioned, nodding to the magazine.

"Gas station." Jane replied. "It has a crossword." He added, glancing up at her.

"So?" Lisbon asked, confused.

"You like crosswords." Jane pointed out, as if the statement was a well-known fact. Lisbon narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Most people learn things about other people by asking questions… not by snooping through their stuff." Lisbon concluded.

"Why ask if I already know?" Jane questioned, smiling.

"It's common courtesy." Lisbon explained, too tired to be amused. Jane paused.

"Why do you assume I was snooping through your stuff?" Jane inquired.

"How else would you know that?" Lisbon countered, suddenly doubting his means.

"You're not the sodoku type." Jane explained curtly.

"There's a type?" Lisbon questioned, her lips curving slightly into a small smile. "You're not planning on making a habit of waking me up this early, are you?" She added, grabbing a coffee mug from the nearest cabinet.

"I get bored." Jane answered, tilting his head slightly.

"At 6 A.M.?" Lisbon asked incredulously. Jane simply smiled and turned his eyes back to the magazine.

"I'm putting spontaneous."

* * *

Monday, 7:15 AM

The air was frigid and the sky was dark and menacing, threatening to erupt into a downpour at any moment. Lisbon felt raindrops falling on her skin, but saw none, attributing it to her imagination.

She lifted up the yellow police tape, while simultaneously showing the closest police officer her badge. They waved her and her team through.

Lisbon wore a new blouse with alternating dark and light blue vertical stripes with a black jacket, matching black pants, and her usual masculine shoes. Her hair was curlier than usual due to the relentless weather, but she still managed to look professional and put together. She was also wearing, for the first time, a necklace with small pearls on it.

Lisbon was the first to enter the small, paneled house belonging to the victim. As soon as she entered she was overwhelmed by the rank scent of death mixed with the cold wet wind drafting through the building. She recoiled briefly, using her sleeve to cover her nose and mouth. Lisbon overcame the putrid smell and wandered towards the living room where she found the victim laying on his back, having been shot several times in the chest. There was a puddle of blood surrounding the body and there were a couple of police officers still surveying the scene, along with the county coroner.

"I'm Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon from CBI." She introduced herself to the young woman in charge. She was wearing plain clothes and had dark hair and severe eyes. "These are Agents Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt… and Patrick Jane is a consultant with the bureau." She added as her team arrived at the scene.

"I'm Melissa Walker with metro." She replied coolly. Melissa seemed to harbor some intense anger and frustration… but not towards CBI.

"Who is he?" Cho asked, squatting across from the coroner so he could examine the body.

"Andrew Till." Melissa replied, glancing at the young victim. Andrew had been in his late twenties with dirty blond hair and a round face. His eyes were still open and were a glassy blue tint.

"Who found the body?" Rigsby questioned, moving along the edge of the room. Van Pelt stood in the doorway while Jane stayed in the hallway, listening.

"His sister lives a few blocks from here. She was supposed to stop by his house early to say goodbye before boarding a plane to England this morning. But when she arrived at the house, he didn't answer, so she entered the premises." Melissa explained, having already interviewed the sister. "She found him like this." She concluded.

"Time of death?" Cho asked; looking up at the coroner, who was an older man with thin-rimmed glasses and light gray hair.

"Roughly 5:00 AM." The man replied.

"Do we have the murder weapon?" Cho furthered.

"No, and no witnesses. No one heard the shots." Melissa answered, her tone revealing frustration. "There seems to have been a struggle." She reported.

"You seem disappointed." Jane pointed out from outside the room, easily hearing her chagrin. The woman frowned.

"Andrew Till is a high-profile suspect in a bank heist down in San Diego. We were planning to raid this place later on this morning." She confessed, glaring at the consultant. Jane moved to the doorway so he was standing next to Van Pelt.

"It appears someone beat you to him." Jane commented brusquely before leaving to search the rest of the house.


	2. Passports

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!**

Chapter 2: Passports

Monday, 7:40 AM

Jane walked up the stairs and onto the second level where there were two bedrooms. He glanced into the first one and saw nothing unusual, so he moved to the second, larger room. Clothes were scattered on the bed along with a dark green duffle bag lying on top of them. The top drawer of the dresser was open and it was apparent that someone had been packing in a hurry. Jane moved to the far side of the bed and opened the nightstand. He found a passport in the top drawer.

"What'd you find?" Lisbon asked from behind him. Jane turned around to face Lisbon and Rigsby.

"A passport." Jane replied, tossing the booklet at Lisbon, who easily caught it.

"He was packing." Rigsby stated. Jane nodded.

"He was making a run for it." Lisbon deduced, opening the passport.

"Maybe he was going with his sister." Rigsby pointed out, making the connection.

"It would make sense, according to this he has English dual citizenship." Lisbon explained.

"He was packing in a hurry." Jane announced. "He didn't get to finish. Something made him go downstairs."

"Maybe he got a phone call." Rigsby remarked.

"Or someone came to the door." Jane furthered.

"Rigsby, check his phone records and also, see if he booked any flights." Lisbon ordered, handing him the passport.

"Sure, boss." Rigsby answered, looking between Jane and Lisbon. She watched him leave and when she looked back at Jane, he had a cunning smile on his face.

"What?" Lisbon asked, bemused.

"He doesn't know." Jane remarked, pointing to where Rigsby had been standing. Lisbon was still confused. "He doesn't know we're together." He continued, finding it amusing. "I figured someone would've told him by now." He confessed, meeting Lisbon's eyes.

"Van Pelt doesn't know either." Lisbon replied. Jane flinched slightly. "You told her?" Lisbon asked, surprised.

"I didn't know it was a secret." Jane shrugged indifferently.

"It's not." She countered quickly. "Just don't tell everyone. If my boss finds out, you'll be reassigned." Lisbon reminded him, a flicker of worry flashed in her bright green eyes. Jane smiled.

"That's sweet." Jane commented, moving towards her until they were only inches apart. "Three weeks and you're already worried you're going to lose me." He observed with a charming smile. Lisbon held his gaze, smiling slightly.

"You help solve cases. The team needs you." She explained, pausing. "And yes I'd miss you." She admitted with a smile. Jane was still only inches away.

"Then… I guess I shouldn't kiss you right now." He mused. Lisbon smiled.

"Probably not." She replied candidly. Jane smiled and stepped back.

"Fine. I'll be inconspicuous, but you can't tell Rigsby." Jane told her.

"Why?" Lisbon asked curiously, missing the closeness. Jane simply smiled before moving past her and towards the door.

* * *

Monday, 7:50 AM

Jane meandered through the kitchen downstairs, searching for any clues to the victim's mystery get-away, but the house was spotless. It was almost like he was never home. There were no dirty dishes and very little food in the fridge; however, there was a plate with crumbs on it sitting on the white tile floor. Jane walked towards the plate and glanced down the hall leading from the kitchen to the dining room. He noted that there were two doors on the right side of the hall: a bathroom and a utility room. Jane stepped into the hall and tilted his head so he could see the shadows underneath the door. He then returned to an upright position and called Van Pelt who was in the dining room bagging evidence.

"Van Pelt, can you check this room?" He asked, pointing at the laundry room.

"Um… sure." Van Pelt replied, walking towards him. She placed her hand on the knob and nodded her head as if to clarify that she had the right door. She opened it slowly and then froze, her eyes revealing surprise. "Wow, he has a big dog." She commented, opening the door all the way. Lisbon, Cho, and Rigsby heard her remark and quickly joined Jane in the hall. A young black and white border collie was standing in the center of the room, watching them curiously. Van Pelt paused, slightly nervous and uncomfortable around the strange dog.

"Hey, sweetie." Van Pelt coaxed, carefully leaning down and extending her hand towards the dog, but as soon as she did the dog recoiled and barked at her. Van Pelt jumped and quickly backed into the hall. "I don't think he likes people." She uttered.

Jane smiled and entered the room. "She." Jane corrected, as he casually extended his hand so the dog could sniff him. Then Jane calmly petted her on the head.

"How?" Van Pelt questioned.

"Dogs can sense fear. They can tell what you're feeling without any words." Jane explained, scratching the dog on the chin. The border collie wagged her tail happily, enjoying the attention.

"Jane's found his soul mate." Cho remarked, glancing over at Lisbon.

"She is cute." Lisbon confessed, stepping in beside Jane, squatting, and reaching out to pet the dog. She always had a soft spot for canines.

"Andrew locked up his dog. He was expecting somebody to come over." Jane announced, standing up.

"We need to talk to the sister." Van Pelt reasoned.

* * *

Monday, 8:10 AM

While Rigsby checked Andrew Till's phone records and Cho finished processing the crime scene, Jane, Lisbon, and Van Pelt went to interview the sister. Ms. Hailey Till was sitting on the patio furniture on her brother's back porch, watching as it started to rain. The medium-size porch was enclosed by a white railing and was covered by a protective overhang. Lisbon approached slowly, watching as the woman's face came into view. She had been crying, her hazel eyes still red and swollen from grief. She now seemed calm and composed, but also distant, her mind aloof. Lisbon sat down on the small patio sofa, closest to the sister. Van Pelt took a seat beside her while Jane found a spot leaning against one of the white columns supporting the roof.

"Ms. Till…" Lisbon began dubiously. She made eye contact with the agent and smiled softly.

"You can call me Hailey." She told her with a distinct British accent.

"Hailey, was Andrew coming with you to England?" Lisbon asked frankly. Jane noted the genuine surprise on Hailey's face.

"No, of course not." She answered quickly. She paused, her eyes shifting to the floor as if recalling a memory. "I got a job at a prominent bridal magazine. I've always wanted to be a fashion designer…" She mused sadly. "Andrew wasn't coming with me." She finished.

"Was Andrew planning any trips out of the country?" Lisbon furthered, leaning forward to read her reaction.

"Not that I know of." She answered hesitantly, glancing between the CBI agents. "Why?" She questioned curiously. Lisbon paused.

"Are you aware that the police were going to raid your brother's apartment today?" She asked. Jane turned his gaze away from the downpour to watch her expression. Her eyes immediately widened and she moved her hands to cover her face.

"No. No. No…" She muttered, shaking her head. "He didn't. He said he wouldn't… he promised…" She continued solemnly, a hint of anger in her voice. She hung her head in her hands for a minute, processing the information. "What'd he do?" Hailey inquired, turning her eyes back to the agent.

"He was suspected in a bank robbery in San Diego." Lisbon answered honestly, feeling that she deserved the truth.

"I should've known." Hailey said to herself. "He went down there on a road trip with his buddies…" She continued, her eyes returning the floor. "I should've known they were up to no good." She admonished regretfully. Hailey looked up at Lisbon. "He's not a bad person… he just knows the wrong people. He has poor judgment, but he is-," she realized she was referring to her brother in the present tense, "was an innocent man."

"Was he killed because… because of the robbery?" She asked, trying to confirm her suspicions.

"Probably." Lisbon told her sympathetically. "We will find his killer, but we need your help." She promised. "You mentioned some 'buddies' of his, do you know their names?" She asked, hoping for a lead.

"He's always hanging out at Gavin Howell's house across town. His is the only full name I remember." Hailey recalled, trying to remember the few times his brother mentioned his mysterious circle of friends. "And… there's a girl named Rebecca and he used to mention a guy named Jaden. I always thought it was a strange name. I don't remember the others." She admitted.

"Do you know Gavin's address?" Van Pelt spoke up.

"No, sorry." She apologized sincerely.

"What are you going to do with the dog?" Jane asked, suddenly changing the subject. Hailey hesitated, surprised by the seemingly random inquiry.

"Lily?" She clarified, referring to her brother's dog. "I haven't really thought about it." She confessed solemnly. "I wish I could keep her, but I'm due at work next week." She commented. "I'm going to postpone my trip to arrange for the funeral and…" Her mind drifted, taking in the sudden change of events. "It's all just too overwhelming." Silence ensued for a few minutes.

"We're sincerely sorry for your loss, ma'am." Lisbon told her respectfully, standing up to give her time alone to grieve.

"You can call us if you need anything or remember something." Van Pelt added, handing her a card with her personal number.

"I will." Hailey replied gratefully as the agents left the porch. Jane followed.

"She's telling the truth." He commented as they entered the home.

"I know." Lisbon replied, feeling sorry for Hailey Till.


	3. Alibis

**So, as you may have noticed, Rigsby and Van Pelt didn't get much of an ending in the last story, _Red Roses_, or at least not in the same way as Jane and Lisbon. I feel like they still have some major struggles to overcome in their relationship, but I promise Rigsby/Van Pelt shippers that you won't be disappointed, especially when Jane starts playing matchmaker…**

Chapter 3: Alibis

Monday, 8:30 AM

The car drive was silent. Jane was sitting shotgun, Lisbon was driving, and Rigsby was sitting in the center back seat, wringing his hands impatiently.

"Is anyone going to say anything?" He announced, finding the silence unnerving.

"Obviously you are." Jane remarked, leaning his head against the window.

"No… I mean…. I don't really like silence." Rigsby furthered.

"Fine." Jane commented. "How are you and Van Pelt doing?" He asked, turning in his seat so he could see Rigsby. Rigsby was surprised by the question and glanced nervously at Lisbon. "Lisbon knows already. I promise she's not going to report you." Jane added, noting his hesitation.

"Good." Rigsby shrugged uncertainly.

"Good? You need to give me more than that." Jane replied, wondering why Rigsby was so unsure about his relationship with Van Pelt.

"We're going on a date tonight." He admitted, still hesitant.

"Where?" Jane pried.

"I don't know. It's off the cuff. Maybe a movie." He answered.

"So are you two official now?" Jane asked curiously.

"Jane." Lisbon warned, glancing over at him. She didn't like them talking about relationships at work; although, she herself was intrigued.

"I'm just trying to make conversation." He justified innocently, ignoring her discomfort.

"I guess." Rigsby answered with another shrug. Jane watched him expectantly, knowing that there was more to that statement. "I'm not sure her heart is in it. I feel like she's… using me." He finally confessed.

"Have you talked to her about it?" Jane questioned curiously, his eyes revealing a hint of sympathy.

"And say what?" Rigsby countered. "I'm just not sure she feels the same way about me as I do about her." He stated, feeling vulnerable under Jane's penetrating gaze.

"You need to talk to her." Jane concluded, facing forward as they arrived at the house of Gavin Howell. Van Pelt had checked Gavin's criminal record and found he was relatively clean save a few minor offenses involving shoplifting as a minor. Lisbon figured he was either genuinely innocent or he was smart enough not to get caught.

The house was a small, plain one-story constructed from wood panels that were a dark gray color. Trees surrounded the building and the ground was muddy and marked by overlapping tire tracks. There were three cars in front of the house. The one on the left was a white pick-up truck with arid dirt tinting it a light brown. Jane observed handprints smudged on the driver's door. The middle car was a red Ford Explorer and when Jane looked closer he noticed a cross hanging from the mirror. The last car was a black jeep with a dent on the front fender. Rigsby approached the front door and knocked. They heard voices within, but they were too faint to decipher.

"Police." Rigsby announced. They all listened patiently. After a few minutes, a young woman, with purple streaks in her short, light brown hair, opened the door slightly so she could see the agents. Jane noted that she was wearing a gold cross necklace around her neck. "What do you want?" She demanded, narrowing her dark brown eyes suspiciously.

"I need to speak with you about Andrew Till." Lisbon told her frankly.

"Do you have a warrant?" She quickly countered, still hostile towards the officers.

"We only want to talk… but we can get one if we have to." Lisbon reasoned, not the least bit intimidated by the woman's glare. The answer was sufficient because the woman opened the door completely.

"You don't look like cops." She observed dubiously, looking them over.

"California Bureau of Investigation." Rigsby answered, showing her his badge. The woman finally gave in and stepped aside so they could enter.

"Come in." She offered reluctantly, still uncongenial. "Sorry, but I haven't exactly had the best experience with cops." She added, closing the door behind them.

"Is this Gavin Howell's house?" Lisbon asked, looking around the cluttered shack.

"Yes. He's in the other room." She replied, leading them towards the back of the house.

"And you are?" Rigsby inquired, not knowing the woman's name.

"Rebecca." She replied sullenly. Lisbon and Rigsby looked at her expectantly so she finally surrendered her last name too. "McMillan."

"You seem nervous." Jane mused, noting her hesitance.

"I don't like cops." Rebecca answered, glaring at the consultant. They reached the far back room where three men were lounging in mismatched chairs and sofas organized in a U-shape. The furniture was torn and stained, possessing no real style. One man was relaxed in a reclining chair. He had bright blue eyes and reddish hair with a few gray streaks. He was obviously the oldest of the three. Another man was sitting on the couch. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasped together. He was young and had bright gray eyes and dark brown hair. He was watching the agent's every move intently and didn't seem surprised by their arrival. The last man looked to be of distant Japanese decent with dark eyes and short black hair; however, his face was extremely pale and his legs were shaking nervously.

"Hi. I'm Gavin Howell." The first man announced with a toothy grin. "This is Jaden Peters and Kyle Foster." He introduced the two men, respectively. He too didn't seem surprised by the visit. "So what brings you here?" He asked, pretending he had nothing to hide. He was definitely the leader of the group.

"Your friend, Andrew Till, was murdered this morning." Lisbon told them, wanting to read their reactions. The room was silent. Jaden, the man on the sofa, lowered his head solemnly. Rebecca frowned slightly and Kyle's eyes widened, even more anxious than before. Gavin's face morphed into surprise and horror, but Jane immediately noticed he was faking it. They all knew he was dead long before CBI arrived.

"What?" Gavin questioned, feigning shock.

"How?" Jaden managed to ask, looking up from his position on the couch.

"He was shot multiple times at point-blank range." Lisbon told them bluntly, still trying to tell whether the four were involved. There was another silence, before Jane decided to call their bluff.

"You're not surprised." Jane observed, looking at each of them in turn. Rebecca was the first to react.

"What? You think we have something to do with this?" She yelled, succumbing to her evident hot-temper. "You come in here and tell us our friend is dead and then you make accusations!" She directed at Jane, outraged.

"Rebecca, calm." Gavin ordered placidly, lifting his hand to gesture to her to sit down. She was quiet and sat down next to Kyle, her eyes still watching Jane menacingly. "I assure you, sir, we had no knowledge of his murder." Gavin continued calmly, directly answering Jane's implication.

"Andrew was a good guy." Jaden commented, refusing to meet the agent's eyes. "Why would anyone want to kill him?" He asked. Jane beat Lisbon to an answer.

"A girl. Drugs. Anger." He listed, hoping to get a telling facial recognition from one of them. "Money." He added and sure enough, he got a hit. Kyle Foster's eyes widened slightly and he froze, his legs and hands completely still. Gavin glanced at Kyle before turning on Jane.

"Is this an interrogation?" He questioned, his tone perfectly neutral; however, his eyes revealed a lingering threat.

"No." Lisbon spoke up, also sensing that the group was hiding something. "But where were you at 5 O'clock this morning?" She questioned, staring down Gavin Howell. He held her gaze.

"We were all here all morning." He stressed. "Kyle Foster is my roommate and Rebecca and Jaden decided to stay over." He continued, his tone forceful and forthright. "It's not unusual for us to come back to my place after a couple drinks. Just ask anyone." Gavin told them, confident in his alibi.

"What kind of car do you drive?" Jane asked suddenly. Gavin was surprised by the question and answered hesitantly.

"A… black jeep. Does it matter?" He asked, wondering what Jane was getting at. Jane shrugged with a poignant grin. Lisbon glanced at him before turning back to Gavin.

"Did Andrew have any enemies?" She asked, watching him closely. Gavin smiled devilishly.

"Only cops." He responded promptly, his eyes saying that the CBI team had outstayed their welcome. Lisbon held his gaze.

"Don't leave town. We may have some more questions for you all." She told them, scanning the room one last time before heading towards the front door. Rigsby and Jane followed.

**That's all the clues I'm giving you as to who the killer is, so if you want to guess in a review, now would be your last chance.**

**As Simon says, "Watch closely."**

**Most of the drama comes after the killer is revealed, so please be patient while I build up the plot. :)**

**Reviews are always appreciated.  
**


	4. Names

Chapter 4: Names

Monday, 10:45 AM

"Did you get a hit?" Jane asked, looking over Van Pelt's shoulder as she modified the search criteria on her computer.

"Still searching. Are you sure his name is Jaden with a J?" She questioned, tapping the table impatiently.

"How else would you spell it?" Cho responded. Lisbon walked into the CBI office to find her team scattered around the room. Cho was sitting as his desk, Rigsby was lying down on the couch, and Jane and Van Pelt were at her computer.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously, sneaking up behind them. Van Pelt jumped slightly, while Jane's eyes remained trained on the computer screen.

"Getting proof." He answered. "You're always complaining that my theories never have any evidence to back them up." He added, with a smile.

"You know who did it?" Lisbon asked incredulously. Jane's smile widened.

"Yeah." Jane answered curtly.

"Who?" She questioned, looking at the computer.

"Jaden Peters." Jane told her, confident in his conviction. Lisbon was surprised, wondering how Jane could have figured it out so quickly.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

"Just wait." Jane replied, standing up straight.

Sure enough, a few seconds later Van Pelt announced, "Found it." She smiled and spun her chair around to face Jane and Lisbon. "You were right. He drives a white pick-up truck." She told Jane. He smiled again.

"See. Proof." He gestured toward the screen.

"Proof of what?" She replied curiously, not making the connection.

"Gavin claimed that all four of them were at his house all night, but they weren't." Jane explained eagerly.

"Because he drives a white truck?" Rigsby spoke up from his position on the couch.

"No, because his car was covered in dry dirt and it just rained, meaning he arrived only minutes before we did." Jane expounded emphatically.

"Maybe he went to a gas station or something." Cho reasoned with a shrug.

"Then his car would still be wet." Jane pointed out.

"He had to have been parked in a garage somewhere." Van Pelt added logically, believing Jane's conclusion.

"That doesn't make him a murderer." Lisbon stated skeptically.

"They're obviously all in on it, but Jaden was the one who pulled the trigger. Kyle doesn't have the capacity, Rebecca is all talk, and Gavin would rather send someone else to do his bidding. After all, he's the one that ordered Rebecca to answer the door." Jane furthered, putting up a convincing argument. "They knew who killed Andrew and they knew why. It was for the money." Jane explained.

"The money from the bank heist?" Rigsby remarked. Jane nodded.

"If that's true, he's going to make a run for it." Cho stated.

"We don't have enough to arrest him." Van Pelt added, everyone buying in to Jane's cogent argument.

"But we can bring him in for questioning." Jane said, looking over at Lisbon. "If he sees us coming, he'll run." Jane added, waiting for Lisbon to give her input.

She considered the 'evidence' against him and realized it was the best lead they had. "He hasn't met Cho and Van Pelt." Lisbon commented, accepting his theory as plausible. "You two go to his house and bring him in." She directed. "Rigsby, call metro and put an alert out on his car. If they find him, tell them to stay away and call us." She ordered, hoping Jane was right about Jaden.

"He isn't going to go home, _Teresa_." Jane reasoned, still smiling incessantly.

"He might." Lisbon countered, her cheeks glowing a bright red when Jane used her first name. She glanced over at her team to see if anyone noticed, but everyone seemed preoccupied with their new assignments. She turned away and headed down the hall towards her office. Jane followed. "Don't call me Teresa." Lisbon told him once they were out of earshot. Lisbon took a seat at her desk while Jane sat down across from her in the opposing chair.

"It's your name," Jane pointed out, watching her expression curiously, "and you like when I call you Teresa." He continued, smiling. Lisbon's cheeks reddened slightly. "You blush every time I say it." He concluded, his blue eyes sparkling confidently.

"Don't call me Teresa _at work_. It's boss or Lisbon." She told him, trying to hide her weakness.

"I'll let you call me Patrick." He offered happily.

"You actually want to fight for this?" Lisbon asked, frowning suspiciously.

"Who's fighting?" He commented, still thoroughly amused at Lisbon's expense. "I like the name Teresa." Jane replied candidly. He paused. "When you were little didn't you call your brother by a special nickname." He commented. Lisbon's eyes softened slightly. "I bet he called you Teris, right?" Jane asked knowingly. Lisbon frowned, wondering how Jane can always read her so easily. "I want a special name for you too." He added sweetly. Lisbon smiled slightly, melting under his gaze.

"You know I don't mind you calling me Teresa. It's just at work. I don't want anyone to think you're getting special treatment." She admitted, giving in to his argument.

"Of course I get special treatment!" Jane exclaimed. Lisbon raised her eyebrow, amused. "Just kidding," Jane admitted, "but honestly I don't think anyone really cares if we're on a first name basis. Van Pelt will think it's cute, Rigsby will be confused, and Cho will ignore it." He explained, predicting his colleagues' reactions. Jane noted Lisbon's hesitance. "Will you stop worrying about the whole personal versus professional thing? I don't expect you to take my side on everything and I'll still undermine you whenever I can." He reassured her. His argument seemed to work because her lips curved faintly revealing a small, content smile.

"Fine, _Patrick_. You win." She conceded, emphasizing his first name. Jane smiled back.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the open office door. Lisbon looked up and Jane turned in his chair. A very skinny man in his mid-forties was standing in the doorway. He had a short brown hair and was wearing a blue baseball cap with the word 'SECURITY' written on it in big white letters. He was also wearing circular rimmed glasses that made him look a little like Harry Potter and behind them he had bright amber eyes. He was wearing a security uniform and a name tag with 'Steven' printed on it.

"Agent… Mrs.-Miss… Lisbon, I-I found your files in the kitchen." He stuttered, obviously nervous around the agent. He held up the case file and smiled anxiously. Lisbon was surprised by the man's sudden arrival.

"Um… thank you, Steven." She replied, recognizing the security guard. She stood up to retrieve the files.

"I didn't look in it. I-I know it's confidential and all." The man explained, still nervous. Jane smiled knowingly as Lisbon took the files.

"Thanks. That's very kind of you." Lisbon told him with a weak smile, finding the situation awkward. There was a brief silence before Steven finally spoke up.

"I guess I better head back to the security room. I'll see you around." He told her with a small smile before turning and quickly leaving the room.

"Yeah. Bye." Lisbon told him, frowning suspiciously.

"Bye." Jane commented, waving his hand before turning to smile at Lisbon. She frowned at him.

"Don't say anything." She warned, shutting the door and heading back to her chair.

"You have an admirer." Jane remarked, amused by her embarrassment.

"He's just a generous person." She countered defensively, returning the files to their proper place in her desk.

"Cho left the files." Jane pointed out, recalling that morning. Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"He wouldn't know that." She responded.

"He's the security guard. His job is to watch all the security cameras. He knows." Jane explained, leaning back in his chair while resting his feet up on her desk. Lisbon frowned, but knew when to give in.

"So he likes me. Are you jealous or something?" She commented, her frown morphing into a clever grin. Jane wasn't troubled by the question.

"Do you want me to be jealous of Steven the security guard?" He questioned candidly. Lisbon smiled slightly and shrugged. "I just find it amusing." Jane furthered, resting his head on his hand.

"Of course you do." Lisbon retorted, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Everything amuses you." She replied. "You seriously need a hobby." Jane simply kept smiling.

**Drama is coming!**

**I think ssbailey's guess was definitely the closest. :) Great job!  
**


	5. Sidewalks

Chapter 5: Sidewalks

Monday, 11:30 AM

Cho and Van Pelt walked up the driveway and approached Jaden Peter's house. It was a small brick home that looked to be well maintained; but the yard was another matter. The lawn was overgrown with weeds and the driveway was covered with fallen leaves, caked in mud. Now, however, the sky had cleared revealing a brilliant, warm day.

"Is Rigsby a fair lover?" Cho asked suddenly, catching Van Pelt completely off guard. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Cho!" She exclaimed, surprised by the question. Cho turned back so he could face her.

"I just wanted to see your reaction." He explained with an indifferent shrug. Van Pelt's eyebrows creased into a disapproving frown.

"Sometimes you're just as bad as Jane." She commented, continuing towards Jaden's house.

"Do you like him?" Cho asked as he followed her up the steps.

"Jane?" Van Pelt replied, confused.

"No. Rigsby." Cho corrected.

"Yeah." Van Pelt shrugged, blushing slightly. Cho's lips curved faintly into a small, barely perceptible smile.

"What is it about him that you love most? His soft brown hair or his bright amber eyes?" Cho teased. Van Pelt resumed her disapproving glare.

"Maybe _you_ should go out with him." She countered with the hint of a smile in her eyes. She knocked on the front door, but got no answer.

"Somebody has to." Cho responded, his tone more serious than satirical. Van Pelt was offended by the comment.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" She rebuked. Cho pretended to drop the matter before bringing it up again about a minute later.

"Have you noticed that Jane and Lisbon are inseparable?" Van Pelt sighed, knowing it was impossible for Cho to simply drop it. "Anyone with eyes can tell they're a couple." Cho explained. "You and Rigsby on the other hand…" His voice faded, allowing her to fill in the blanks with her own observations. Van Pelt turned her eyes to the sky, thoroughly annoyed.

"I-" She began uncertainly, "I like him, but…" Her voice drifted, unsure of how to explain. "I don't think our relationship is going anywhere." She expounded. Cho glanced at her with 'are you serious?' written on his face.

"You haven't exactly let it." He pointed out, knocking again on the door. Then he proceeded to the nearest window to see if anyone was inside. The house was vacant.

"Mr. Peters?" Van Pelt called out, but received no reply. "I'm embarrassed to admit he's my boyfriend." She finally confessed.

"Do you find him unattractive?" He questioned, moving behind the bushes and to one of the farthest windows. There was no sign of life within.

"Of course not." Van Pelt answered without hesitation, her cheeks glowing a bright red.

"Then why are you so embarrassed?" Cho asked curiously.

"I-I'm just conflicted." She replied tenuously. Cho looked over at her with an expectant look in his eyes. "He's _different_ than most of the other guys I've dated." She explained quickly, refusing to look Cho in the eye. Cho frowned, considering her answer briefly.

"In other words, you're making your life harder for no reason." Cho pointed out, his tone frank and candid. Van Pelt glanced over at him, but Cho didn't meet her eyes. "He's not here." He announced, before turning and heading down the steps and back to the car.

* * *

Monday, 2:00 PM

Rigsby impatiently tapped his fingers on the dashboard as the CBI team waited for Jaden to return to his truck. They had received a call from metro about an hour ago, tipping them off to Jaden's location at a popular shopping square. Their black SUV was parked parallel to the sidewalk and was surrounded by avid shoppers taking advantage of the pleasant change in weather. Lisbon was in the driver's seat, Rigsby was riding shotgun, and Jane, Van Pelt, and Cho were crammed in the back with Van Pelt squeezed in the middle. Cho was close to falling asleep, his eyes watching the disarray of people passing by, but Jane, on the other hand, was staring at Van Pelt.

"What?" Van Pelt finally announced, turning to face the consultant. Jane smiled innocently, his eyes sparkling.

"You should wear your hair down more." He commented with a faint shrug and charming little smile. Van Pelt was surprised by the suggestion and immediately questioned his motives.

"Okay," she managed to reply, her eyes revealing her suspicion.

"Your hair is a unique color. It's very pretty." Jane explained, trying to dispel her misgivings. She blushed slightly and looked away, running her hand through her hair.

"Thanks." She replied with a small smile. Rigsby shifted in his seat and looked back at Van Pelt, visibly unsettled. Lisbon also looked in the rearview mirror, but her eyes revealed curiosity rather than discontent.

"And you wonder why everyone thinks your gay." Cho remarked, not even bothering to look in their direction. He instead drew a smiley on the window with his finger. Jane smiled at the comment, sat back in his seat, and looked forward into the right car mirror. He made eye contact with Rigsby and smiled devilishly, provoking Rigsby to frown in response. Meanwhile, Lisbon shifted her eyes back to the street in front of her and quickly recognized a figure strolling around the block.

"There's Jaden at 2 O'clock." She announced, drawing everyone's attention forward. Jaden Peters walked at a slow, consistent pace, but instead of going to his car, he passed by it and continued unperturbed.

"Time to make our move." Jane stated as he opened the door and stepped out onto the street. He politely held the door for Van Pelt, who followed him out of the vehicle. Rigsby couldn't take it anymore and suddenly opened his door and joined them on the street.

"I'll go." Rigsby told Jane, glaring at him. Jane made brief eye contact with Van Pelt before shrugging, stepping past Rigsby, and settling himself in the front seat next to Lisbon. Van Pelt refrained from saying anything and quickly headed across the street in order to pursue their suspect. Rigsby sighed and walked around the car, planning to follow Jaden from the other side of the street. Cho scooted into the middle of the car, pulled out his cell phone, and called Van Pelt and then activated three-way calling to include Rigsby. It was better than walkie-talkies in this situation because it was a less conspicuous means of communicating; half of the shoppers in the square were on their cell phones.

"What was that?" Lisbon asked, turning to look at Jane directly.

"What was what?" He replied, still feigning innocence.

"You flirting with Van Pelt?" She explained, frowning at his evasion. Jane smiled.

"Are you jealous?" He asked, mimicking their earlier conversation regarding the security guard with a crush on Lisbon. She didn't hesitate to respond.

"No, because I know you didn't mean it." Lisbon countered confidently with a clever grin. She may not have Jane's keen sense of observation, but she was smart enough to realize that Jane had an ulterior motive.

"You don't know that." Jane teased, smiling at her conviction.

"Seemed pretty convincing to me." Cho commented from the back seat, still resting the phone on his ear. Lisbon glanced between him and Jane, her green eyes brimming with suspicion. Cho is always in on Jane's outlandish tricks and always backs him up when he's determined to mess with someone. Lisbon knew the two of them together were trouble.

"You're trying to manipulate me, but it's not going to work." She finally replied, her voice firm and unwavering. Jane just kept smiling.

"I'm not trying to manipulate _you_." He emphasized, his eyes returning to the street. Cho set the phone on speaker.

"Are you guys there?" Van Pelt asked, trying to keep her eyes on Jaden as he zigzagged through the crowd.

"We see you." Lisbon told her, as she looked across a small fountain area in the center, to the other side of the square. Jaden paused at several of the shops, but never went in.

"It looks like he's… window-shopping." Van Pelt observed uncertainly as she tried to stay a safe distance behind him to avoid being spotted.

"Maybe he's trying to decide what to spend all his money on." Cho suggested.

"Or he's waiting to make a drop." Lisbon theorized. "He may be meeting someone. Follow him." She told Van Pelt and Rigsby. Just as she finished, a large city bus weaved through traffic and stopped at the light, blocking their view of the suspect.

"I lost visual." Rigsby announced from the far side of the street. He could feel a strong sense of worry welling up inside him as Van Pelt disappeared from view.

"Us too." Cho stated.

"I still got him." Van Pelt reported, still watching Jaden stroll down the street. "He's not carrying anything." She observed as evidence that he wasn't there to make a drop.

The man glanced around suspiciously and Van Pelt stopped and turned to face the nearest shop window. Jaden paused before he turned right and headed down another street. She followed, falling back slightly. She turned the corner and watched him intently. "He's answering his phone." She described. Lisbon couldn't stand waiting in the car any longer. She grabbed the phone and stepped out on the sidewalk. Cho followed, leaving Jane by himself. "He stopped." Van Pelt furthered. Jaden was silent as he listened to the voice on the phone. Then suddenly he looked straight at her, his eyes widening slightly. She froze, her blood turning to ice in her veins. "I think he made me." She told her team.

"What?" Lisbon asked incredulously, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"He made me." Van Pelt said louder. In one swift movement, Jaden turned on his heel and dashed down the street in the opposite direction. "He's making a run for it!" She exclaimed, starting after him.

"Follow him." Lisbon ordered, running back to the car.

"That was quick." Jane observed as Cho and Lisbon got back in the car. Lisbon started the car and pulled out of the parking space.

"He made us." She explained, glancing at him before pulling out the red siren light.

"How? We weren't even close yet." Cho commented from the back seat.

"Someone tipped him off." Jane reasoned, sitting up in his seat. Lisbon set the siren on the dashboard and turned it on. The lights flashed at a rapid pace.

Van Pelt hung up the phone and sprinted through the crowd. She pulled her weapon, her heart racing. Rigsby, without thinking, dashed into oncoming traffic and onto the other side of the street. He followed behind Van Pelt, but she was still about a block ahead of him. Jaden then darted to his right and into an alley. Van Pelt turned the corner in pursuit and without warning, was met by a fist. The man punched her in the face and she fell sideways into the brick wall, her gun slipping from her grip. Jaden didn't wait around to see the effect of the blow and instead rushed through the alley and out onto another, parallel street. Van Pelt grimaced at the pain in her face and was still shocked by the punch. She brushed her hand across her cheek and found her fingers stained with blood. Rigsby turned the corner and found Van Pelt leaning against the wall. He immediately forgot the suspect and was overwhelmed with worry. He got on his knees and moved her hands away from her cheek to see a bloody cut with a purple bruise forming around the edges. Van Pelt reached out and returned her gun to her holster. "I'm fine. He turned right." She directed, nodding toward the other end of the alley. "Please, Rigsby?" He hesitated to leave her alone, but the determination in her eyes convinced him. He got up and rushed down the alley, a gun in one hand and his phone in the other. He called Cho.

"He's headed south on Forest Lane." Rigsby reported. "He just punched Van Pelt, but I don't think he has a weapon," he observed, his breathing quick and uneven.

"We're coming," Lisbon announced, driving down the street, sirens blaring. Cars quickly dispersed around them, but they still weren't moving as fast as they had hoped. "Jane, I need you to check the intersections. If it's clear, say clear." Lisbon directed suddenly as they neared the closest intersection. "I can't look in that direction, so you need to tell me." She explained.

"Sure." Jane nodded, leaning forward so he could see oncoming traffic from the right. "Clear." He announced, as Lisbon made a sharp left turn onto Forest Lane. Rigsby followed Jaden. The suspect looked back at him, his expression revealing fear. Jaden ran into the intersection and pulled at the door of one of the cars stopped at the light. The door swung open and Jaden pulled a man from the car and threw him onto the pavement. The man complied and Jaden hijacked the car and sped into the intersection. "He just took a car. It's a red Escalade and it's headed in your direction." Rigsby reported, leaning over to recover from the over exertion.

"Where is it?" Lisbon questioned impatiently, watching for the Escalade.

Cho pointed out the window. "He's turning left," he remarked. Lisbon pulled into the intersection and followed the red car.

"If this guy slips through our hands we'll never get another chance." She justified, their car picking up speed as the road cleared in front of them. Pedestrians scattered in all directions as the car chase escalated. Jane held on tight to his seat as they deviated through traffic, narrowly missing several cars.

"Clear." Jane stated, as he monitored the adjacent streets. Lisbon noted a group of people on the upcoming crosswalk. Lisbon swerved around them as they fell backwards onto the street. "Watch this guy!" Jane cringed, as they barely missed a car turning from the right.

"He's going to get himself killed." Cho stated, holding on tightly to the back seats. He was sure they were going to hit something, but Lisbon was indomitably determined to catch Jaden.

Suddenly, the red Escalade ran the light and was broadsided by a large truck. Jaden's car flipped and started rolling until it smashed into a light pole on the sidewalk. A crowd of people ran to avoid being hit and luckily, the vehicle barely missed hitting any other cars. "Lisbon!" Jane yelled as they headed full speed towards the truck. Lisbon slammed on the breaks and their car stopped only inches from the truck's cargo. They froze, all of them shocked by the near fatal accident.

"Is everyone okay?" Lisbon asked, turning to look at her colleagues. Jane nodded slowly, while Cho moaned slightly from the back seat.

"Damn whiplash." He muttered, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. He grimaced. "What just happened?" He questioned. Lisbon looked across the street at the overturned car and stepped out into the street. Jane did the same.

"Teresa, we should stay here." Jane told her breathlessly, but Lisbon ignored him as she navigated through the street and towards the escalade. Jane then opened the door to the backseats. "Cho, you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah." Cho replied, shutting his eyes. "Just whiplash." He added, staying in his seat. Jane looked back at the accident. Rigsby appeared out of nowhere, tired and out of breath. He followed Lisbon to the Escalade. She got down on her knees and looked at the man. There was a pool of blood on the floor (or roof) of the car; blood and glass covered the seats and the doorframe. Jaden's gray eyes were still open, but void of life. His body was contorted into an abnormal position; he hadn't been wearing his seat belt. It was hard to believe that this was the same man she had interrogated earlier that morning. Lisbon hesitantly reached over and checked for a pulse. He was still.

"Is he… dead?" Rigsby asked from behind her. She took one last look at the gory scene before standing up and turning to Rigsby. Jane could tell what had happened clear across the intersection, her grim expression telling all.


	6. Pearls

Chapter 6: Pearls

Monday, 3:15 PM

Jane leaned against the side of a marked police car with his arms crossed and his blue eyes squinting in the harsh, unabated sunlight. The sun reflected off the pavement and intensified the heat at the scene of the car accident, so much so that he had stripped off his jacket and unbuttoned his black vest. He was in the middle of the commotion as crowds of people lined up behind the yellow tape to see who was being hauled away in a body bag. His attention, however, was far removed from the actual accident. He was watching Lisbon, from afar, being reprimanded by her boss.

"What were you thinking? A high speed car chase in a highly populated area?" Patel, Lisbon's boss, admonished her harshly. She held his gaze and stood her ground, yet Jane could tell from the slump in her shoulders and the tired creases around her eyes that this whole incident had taken an emotional toll on her. Having your boss tell you that it was all your fault didn't help.

"I know it was a mistake, but he hurt a member of my team…" Lisbon argued wholeheartedly; defending her action. Patel gave her a stern look.

"You weren't even here to arrest him, just bring him in!" He explained, gesturing with his hands exasperatedly. It was times like this that he hated being the boss. "What you exhibited was poor judgment. More people could have been killed." He emphasized, truly disappointed in her. "I should suspend you."

Jane couldn't take it. He was determined to intervene on her behalf, but as he started forward, Cho appeared and grabbed his arm, and gently pushed him back against the car.

"She can handle it." He told him, releasing him and turning to lean against the car beside him.

"I know she can, but she shouldn't have to." Jane explained, glancing over at Cho.

"It's not worth getting yourself fired." Cho commented, knowing very well that Jane sometimes, though rarely, had a temper and a flare for the dramatic. "She's the boss and this is her battle. She doesn't want or need you to take the fall for her." Cho furthered, glancing around the intersection at the curious surveyors.

"I was the one who said it was Jaden." Jane pointed out. "She blames herself for his death." He observed. He knew that Lisbon, being the boss of the team, felt a great deal of responsibility and that she was quick to blame herself for other's mistakes.

"It comes with the job." Cho stated bluntly, patting him on the shoulder. "She can handle it." Jane smiled, recognizing that under Cho's emotionless façade, he deeply cares for his team members.

"Lisbon," Patel started, his tone softer, "you're an excellent agent, one of the best, and I know you acted with the best intentions." He told her honestly. "Because I know this, I'm not going to suspend you." He explained.

"Thank you, sir." Lisbon responded respectfully.

"I want you to go home and rest and if you're up to it, you can continue the case tomorrow." Patel told her with a weak smile. He didn't like being the bad guy all the time. Lisbon was about to object when Patel affirmed, "that was an order."

"Yes, boss." She replied before Mr. Patel left. She then turned to her right to see Cho and Jane watching her expectantly. Lisbon sighed and walked towards them. They were both silent as if fearing retaliation for any comment they might give. Jane looked around to make sure their boss was out of view, before gently brushing his left hand against Lisbon's arm in a soothing manner.

"You okay?" He asked softly, already knowing she wasn't.

"You know I'm not okay." Lisbon observed, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Yeah, but you told me it was 'common courtesy' to ask." Jane replied with a smile, referring back to that morning's conversation. Jane grasped her hand and Lisbon turned so she too could lean against the police car. She hid her and Jane's clasped hands between them, so no one would notice. Jane smiled at her constant worrying. He knew that eventually she would have to overcome her fear of them being caught together and he knew that it wouldn't be hard for him to convince her, but right now, he didn't mind the secret. She had more important things to worry about… like informing Jaden's family and friends and then proving that he murdered Andrew Till.

"We shouldn't." She remarked, feeling noticeably self-conscious sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jane with him gently caressing her hand behind her back.

"No one will notice." Jane assured her, still amused. Lisbon leaned forward slightly so she could actually acknowledge Cho.

"How's your neck?" She questioned, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Better. I still can't turn my head, but it's better." Cho shrugged.

"Has anyone checked on Van Pelt?" Lisbon asked, suddenly remembering their injured friend. Jane and Cho both pointed at the exact same time towards an ambulance parked down the street. "Rigsby." Lisbon guessed.

"Who else?" Cho replied bluntly.

"I'm going to make sure she's okay." Lisbon announced, pulling away from Jane and heading down the street in their direction.

"You two are cute together." Cho commented impassively. Jane smiled.

"I never figured you for a romantic." He replied with a cheery grin.

"What did Rigsby say?" Cho asked suddenly, looking over at Jane.

"His relationship isn't what he thought it would be." Jane explained, not surprised by the question.

"Van Pelt says that she's embarrassed by Rigsby." Cho added. Jane laughed slightly at the excuse.

"Rigsby needs to step up and prove to Van Pelt that they belong together." He expounded, glancing over at Cho.

"You know you could just tell him that." Cho pointed out.

"I could," Jane shrugged, "but when was the last time he took my advice?" He furthered before walking past Cho and down the street after Lisbon. Cho knew Jane had a plan to get the two together, but as of yet, he wasn't sure what that plan actually entailed. Cho followed him.

* * *

Monday, 3:25 PM

"Are you okay?" Lisbon asked Van Pelt as a paramedic bandaged her face.

"I'm fine, boss." She assured her with a smile. Her smile then faded and was replaced with shame. "I'm sorry I didn't catch him." She apologized, her gaze shifting to the floor.

"Don't worry about it." Lisbon reassured her. Van Pelt flinched slightly as the paramedic finished.

"You had him running scared." Rigsby commented, recalling the chase. Van Pelt smiled at him.

"You should go home." Lisbon directed.

"I'll drive her back." Rigsby added, agreeing with Lisbon. Van Pelt frowned.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving. It's just a cut." She protested, getting to her feet.

"Let him drive you." Lisbon ordered seriously. There was no room to argue, so she nodded obediently.

"Agent Lisbon!" A voice called from further down the road.

"Stay here." Lisbon directed as she headed towards the police officer. Van Pelt and Rigsby made eye contact briefly before deciding to follow. Lisbon was led to Jaden Peter's white pick-up truck. The officer was standing next to it, holding a blue gym bag in his right hand.

"What is it?" Lisbon asked curiously. The officer opened the bag and revealed a large sum of money, held together in packets by rubber bands.

"Told you it was for the money," Jane commented as him and Cho appeared beside Rigsby and Van Pelt.

"I guess we know why he ran." Van Pelt uttered quietly.

"But not why he was here to begin with." Rigsby remarked, questioning Jaden's reasons.

"Who was he meeting?" Lisbon asked herself, frowning bemusedly. Something was wrong. Some piece was missing from the puzzle, but she wasn't sure what. All she knew was that two people had died for the money that was now in her possession. She began to wonder how green pieces of paper were worth killing over.

It was depressing.

* * *

Monday, 9:30 PM

The sun had set hours ago and the only light radiated from the streetlights evenly spaced in grids throughout the crowded parking lot. Most of the cars were generic black SUVs belonging to the bureau, but Lisbon also noted that many cars belonged to agents working late on cases. The cheery voices of other CBI agents heading home for the night echoed across the lot, betraying the illusion that she was alone.

Lisbon was upset. She blamed herself for running their main suspect, Jaden Peters, into a fatal car crash. If only she hadn't been so determined to catch him… if she had considered the consequences of a high-speed car chase in a busy part of town. More people could've been killed, perhaps even herself or her team.

_"If this guy slips through our hands we'll never get another chance."_

They would've had another chance, but instead she made him run.

She shuddered from the combination of a sudden cool breeze and the memory of informing Jaden's family. Rigsby had kindly offered to make the call, but Lisbon refused, knowing that she had to do it herself. She had called his parents, who lived in Texas, and his brother who lived nearby. His parents had been distraught, breaking into tears on the phone. Then she called the brother, who denied the news at first before yelling angrily at her as if it was her fault. Then his voice calmed and he hung up abruptly.

She hated calling the family… especially since she blamed herself for his death. Even if he was the murderer, there was a family somewhere who loves and misses him.

"Hey, Teresa!" Jane's voice called from behind her. She quickly spun on her heel, surprised by how close he was. He stopped about a foot in front of her. "You drove me to work." Jane explained, slightly out of breath.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Lisbon apologized, remembering that his car was at her apartment. Jane paused, easily reading her guilt-ridden eyes.

"What?" Lisbon asked in a harsh tone. Jane shrugged, smiling slightly. He then stepped past Lisbon in the direction of her car. Lisbon caught up and walked with him, side by side. Jane glanced over at her, hoping to cheer her up. He grabbed her hand in his and caressed it lightly with his thumb. Her red cheeks were barely visible in the dim light.

"I just thought I would remind you that we haven't officially been on a third date." He deferred, knowing that Lisbon didn't want to talk about the accident. If she wanted to talk, she would bring it up. Her eyes softened and a small smile graced her lips.

"So what are you waiting for?" She teased lightly, enjoying the distraction. She leaned into him slightly, wanting desperately to block out the image of Jaden's corpse.

"We could go somewhere tonight." Jane offered, nearing Lisbon's car. Lisbon raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "I'm trying to be spontaneous, remember?" Jane furthered with a cunning grin. They had almost reached the car.

"I-…" Lisbon began, when suddenly a loud sound like thunder erupted in front of them.

_Boom._

After the sound came a fiery burst of light that blinded her and a sudden explosion of heat seemed to burn her skin. She closed her eyes and instinctively placed her hands up to protect her face. She could feel a powerful force throw her off balance, making her a victim of gravity. She lost all control and fell on her side, her body smashing into the cold pavement. Then came a shower of shrapnel, mostly glass shards, that cut like knives. She used her left arm as a shield, while her right arm was trapped underneath her. Her skin seemed to sting and she could feel her wrist aching and snapping from the pressure of her body. Lisbon could smell ash and smoke, along with the rising scent of blood. She remained still, fearing to open her eyes.

Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of panicked voices in the distance, but more importantly she heard a low moan from beside her. She slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She could see the reflection of fire dancing in the puddles remaining after that morning's rain and she saw glass and other remnants of her car scattered on the ground, including a tire that was sitting near her feet. She could feel a ring of pain around her neck from where her necklace had pressed and bruised her skin. She noticed that her necklace had broken when she fell, leaving pearls scattered all around her.

Jane was laying on his back a few feet away, his hand resting on his forehead, his teeth gritted in pain, but he didn't look seriously injured from her vantage point. Then again, she had yet to calculate the extent of her own injuries. At least they were both alive and conscious.

"Patrick? Are you okay?" She managed to ask, deeply concerned. Her voice came out weak and quiet, but was still loud enough for Jane to hear her. She then tried to sit up, but stopped when pain shot through her body like lightening. She froze, willing the pain to pass. Most of it seemed to emanate from minor cuts and bruises, but then there was the throbbing pain in her wrist that signaled to her that she might have broken it. Jane still had his eyes closed as he shifted his body slightly. His face seemed to relax faintly when he heard Lisbon's voice.

"I think…" He replied, overwhelmed by a combination of shock and pain that deterred him from opening his eyes. His voice was just as quiet as Lisbon's. "You okay?" He added softly. Lisbon used her left arm to slowly sit up so she could see the wreckage.

"My car just exploded." She announced, shocked by the flames that had engulfed it. Jane lifted his head slightly, opening his eyes so he could see her.

"But you're okay?" He asked more forcefully, worry evident in his voice and his bright blue eyes. Lisbon turned to him, setting her right arm to rest in her lap.

"Yeah." She nodded, her eyes still wide with shock. She felt paralyzed, her mind slowly processing what had happened. Jane grimaced again and laid his head back down on the pavement. He closed his eyes, pain etched into his face.

"Patrick?" Lisbon questioned, suddenly very worried. She didn't notice the sounds of footsteps rushing towards them.

"I hit my head." Jane muttered, waiting for the throbbing to subside. Lisbon looked up to see a few people arriving at the scene with Cho at the forefront. Cho had left not long after them and had just stepped outside the CBI building when he heard the explosion.

"What the hell happened?" He questioned, squatting next to Jane to see if he was okay.

"Her car exploded." Jane commented, sounding more like his usual self. The pain had obviously lessened as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up. Cho grabbed his right arm, attempting to help him, when Jane's face suddenly tightened, his eyes closed to shut out the vertigo, and he slowly lowered himself back onto the concrete. "I think I'm just going to lay here for a minute." He decided, not wanting to open his eyes for fear that the world would start spinning again. Lisbon got to her feet and shuffled over to Jane.

"Are you feeling dizzy?" She asked worriedly.

"Only when I move." He retorted, opening his eyes into slits. The dizziness seemed to fade, but he still wasn't ready to sit up. "It's just a concussion." He assured her, noting the concern in her eyes.

"You're bleeding." Lisbon realized, noting the blood tinting his blond curls a deep crimson.

"So are you." He replied, pointing limply at her bloody hand. The blood was coming from the wound on her wrist which was covered by her torn sleeve. She also seemed to get the worst of the glass with several scratches on her face and hands.

"I called an ambulance. The police should be arriving shortly." A man announced from the crowd that had encircled the scene. Lisbon made eye contact with Cho.

"Check the perimeter." She ordered, realizing that someone must have blown up her car and that the perpetrator may still be nearby.

"They're long gone." Jane commented, obviously thinking the same as Lisbon. The aching in his head seemed to have lessened considerably and his mind, despite being concussed, was already listing possible suspects.

"Patrick, just stay still." She ordered.

"No objections." He replied, shutting his eyes again.


	7. Hospitals

Chapter 7: Hospitals

Monday, 9:52 PM

When the ambulance arrived, Jane opened his eyes and used his arms to raise himself to his feet, staggering slightly. Lisbon and Cho were right by his side in case he collapsed. Jane moved his hand to the back of his head and when he looked at his fingers, they were crimson red. His head was still pounding, but at least the dizziness had abated, allowing him to walk to the ambulance. He didn't want a stretcher. Lisbon grabbed his arm to help into the ambulance, and although he didn't actually need her help, he let her.

They settled on the bench on the right side of the ambulance as one of the paramedics closed the door and walked around to the driver's seat. One paramedic remained in the back with the two. He was a young, bald black man who was relatively short and skinny with a glowing smile. The ambulance started to leave the scene and Jane noticed that the driver wasn't speeding or using the sirens, probably because Jane and Lisbon had relatively minor injuries and the lights and sirens were reserved for the more serious cases.

"So where are you hurt?" The paramedic asked frankly, pulling Jane from his observations.

"Head." Jane uttered plainly, his hand still covering the wound.

"Let me see." He instructed. Jane leaned forward, allowing the man to see the injury. The paramedic then stood up in the cramped compartment and searched the drawers for the bandages.

"First day on the job?" Jane observed, noting that he was unfamiliar with the ambulance. The man turned and scratched his head nervously before resuming his search.

"Uh… yeah." He replied, finally finding the bandages in the top drawer. Jane smiled and looked over at Lisbon who seemed to be trapped in her thoughts.

"Teresa?" He asked, gently shaking her shoulder. She looked at him and he gave her a small comforting smile.

"Someone's trying to kill us." She announced, her tone serious. Jane, of course, already knew this. The paramedic paused briefly, surprised by the statement.

"More likely someone's trying to send one of us a message." He explained, flinching as the rookie paramedic wrapped the bandage around his head.

"We could have died." Lisbon continued, a hint of fear in her voice. She tried to make it sound like a general statement, but Jane sensed her hesitation.

"They detonated before we got into the car. They could have killed us, but they didn't." Jane concluded.

"But we're not sure what kind of bomb it was." Lisbon replied, thinking through all the possible scenarios.

"How else would the bomb know to go off as soon when we were within range?" Jane questioned, making a valid point. He grimaced as the paramedic tightened the dressing.

"Is he going to be okay?" Lisbon asked, concerned.

"Yeah, but he'll need some stitches and we'll need to check to make sure it's only a concussion and not something more serious." The man informed her.

"Told you." Jane retorted. Somehow he still maintained his optimism. Jane glanced down at Lisbon's arm. "Shouldn't she get checked out too?" He remarked, tipping off the paramedic.

"Ma'am, where do you feel the most pain?" The man asked with a polite smile.

"I'm fine." Lisbon answered gruffly, shying away from the medic, but she gave in when Jane gave her a hard stare. "I fell on my wrist." She confessed reluctantly. Jane gently placed his fingers on her sleeve and pulled it up so the paramedic could see the wound. Lisbon winced, but didn't protest. Her wrist was blue, swollen, and bloody. It was a particularly nasty wound and Lisbon almost whimpered when the man pressed his fingers against it.

"It's either sprained or broken." The man observed. "You'll need a splint, but for now I'll get some more bandages." He added, returning to the drawer. The ambulance slowed to a stop. Jane could see the words Emergency Room lit up on the building outside.

Jane hated hospitals.

* * *

Monday, 10:59 PM

"Are you okay, boss?" Van Pelt asked, her voice exuding with genuine concern.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Lisbon assured her over the phone. The x-ray had been surprisingly quick, probably because the ER was less crowded than usual. She had broken her wrist, but luckily, the doctor said it wasn't too severe and splinted it so that she couldn't use her right hand. On the bright side, she didn't need a bulky cast. The doctor recommended ice to reduce the swelling and some pills for the pain. For the rest of her scratches, she had either bandaged them or had cleaned them after they stopped bleeding. She had a couple lacerations on her face, but had otherwise escaped relatively unharmed.

"Where are you?" Van Pelt questioned. Van Pelt and Rigsby had already left on their date hours earlier and when Van Pelt returned home she found several messages from Cho explaining what had happened.

"We're at the hospital." Lisbon answered, looking through the glass walls of the nearest room. Jane was sitting on the bed, his legs swinging off the edge like a child. The doctor was giving him a shot in the head to keep the area numb for the stitches and Jane seemed to be doing all he could to complicate the simple procedure. He was talking rapidly, and although she couldn't hear what he was saying, she could tell the doctor was annoyed. "Jane has a concussion, but he'll be okay." She added, before lowering the phone and moving to the doorway. "Jane, can you let him do his job." She warned, glaring at him. He smiled back at her, but didn't reply… and didn't stop his ranting. He was explaining the doctor's whole life story in detail and then he would go on to explain how he knew what he knew. In other words he was showing off. Lisbon rolled her eyes and returned to the far side of the hall.

"Any idea who could have done this?" Van Pelt inquired.

"Yeah. There are too many suspects to count." Lisbon admitted. In her business it was easy to make enemies. "As soon as you can, check our case files for anyone we convicted who was recently released from prison. Maybe then we can get a hit." She told her. "Also, see if there is any connection to our current case." She added, her mind flashing back to that afternoon's events. The car crash suddenly seemed like a distant memory.

"Are we sure it was a bomb?" Van Pelt added.

"Yes." Lisbon replied. There was a brief silence.

"Who was the target?" Van Pelt asked hesitantly. Lisbon paused.

"It was my car." She answered. The bomber couldn't have known Jane would be leaving in her car, making her the more likely target. The guilt was already starting to set in.

Jane could've died and it would've been her fault. It may not be a logical conclusion, but her mind kept bringing it up in an endless loop. "You can wait until morning to draw up the list of suspects. It's late. You need some sleep." She told Van Pelt sympathetically, not wanting her to have to work all night on her behalf, especially after her encounter with Jaden.

"I can-' Van Pelt protested, but Lisbon was quick to interrupt.

"Just get some sleep." She ordered, ending discussion. "We're fine and we'll see you tomorrow." She finished, hanging up the cell phone. She sighed and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes for a minute, trying to calm her nerves. One unsolved case, one bomber, and one concussed boyfriend… could her life be any more chaotic?

She took a few deep breathes before summoning the strength to deal with Jane. She returned to the room to find that Jane's mood had changed drastically. His eyes were trained on the ground as if trying to focus on something in particular, his teeth gritted again.

"How are you feeling?" Lisbon asked tentatively, noting that the doctor was finished with the stitches.

"Have you ever had a concussion?" Jane asked, glancing up at her, suddenly looking more like himself.

"Yes actually." Lisbon replied.

"Well, then you know." He told her, moving his hand to massage his temple.

"I would like to keep him here overnight…" Dr. Clint began.

"I'm sure you would." Jane retorted, less than friendly.

"…But I can't force him." He finished. Lisbon could tell Jane had been causing him trouble.

"Thankfully." Jane added sarcastically with an innocent smile. The doctor was smart and simply ignored Jane's foul temper, which was probably a symptom of the pain.

"He shouldn't be alone. Someone needs to check on him when he sleeps to make sure he doesn't slip into a coma." The doctor directed at Lisbon.

"Because that would be bad." Jane responded. Lisbon glared at him.

"It's unlikely, but I like to be safe with head injuries." The doctor furthered.

"Thanks, doc." Jane remarked, jumping off the bed. He immediately hunched over, regretting the quick movement as it sent a strong current of pain through his whole body. Lisbon placed her hand on Jane's shoulder.

"Thank you, Dr. Clint." Lisbon told him honestly, following Jane out of the room. "What's your problem with doctors?" She asked, unnerved by Jane's complete disregard.

"No problem." Jane answered innocently. Lisbon was going to persist when Cho and Rigsby met them in the hall. Apparently, Rigsby had been home when Cho called and quickly arrived at the scene.

"Any news?" Lisbon quickly asked.

"Nothing yet." Cho told her despairingly. "All we know is that it wasn't an amateur job."

"Well, go home for the night. No point on us working on no sleep." She ordered him.

"Sure, boss." Rigsby answered obediently, still worried about his two colleagues. Jane closed his eyes tightly, as he used his fingers to massage his temples.

"Is your head okay?" Lisbon asked, concerned again.

"Not really." Jane lied. "Can you sign me out? I think the sooner we get out of here the better." He asked hopefully.

"Sure." She replied sympathetically, patting him lightly on the shoulder before heading down the hall towards the receptionist. Jane watched her leave before turning back to Cho and Rigsby.

"Maybe you should stay here." Cho commented, expressing slight concern. Jane lowered his hands.

"My head's fine. I just needed to distract her." Jane explained.

"Wait, why?" Rigsby questioned bemusedly.

"Someone's targeting Lisbon." Jane stated seriously. "They're going to strike again." He furthered, knowing Cho and Rigsby would understand what he was getting at. Lisbon was in danger and they all knew she would never admit it.

"I'll stake out her apartment." Cho replied.

"We'll take shifts." Rigsby added. Cho and Rigsby were willing to stay up all night to keep their boss safe. Jane smiled.

"Don't tell her or she'll never let you." He reminded them as he heard Lisbon's footsteps coming in their direction.

"Do we have a car?" She asked Rigsby as she came up beside them.

"Um… yeah sure." He responded, handing her the keys.

"Are you sure you can drive with that?" Cho asked, nodding to her bandaged arm.

"Don't worry. It's not too bad." She assured him. "Plus, I don't live far from here." She added. Cho glanced over at Jane, who didn't object. "Now, go home and sleep." Lisbon ordered, lightly grabbing Jane's arm with her good hand and pulling him down the hall.

"I hope you two feel better." Rigsby called after them.


	8. Security Blankets

Chapter 8: Security Blankets

Monday, 11:45 PM

Jane and Lisbon were walking through a parking lot, yet again, except the lighting here was far brighter and there were considerably more cars present, seeing as a hospital never closes. Nevertheless, both Jane and Lisbon were overwhelmed by a strong sense of déjà vu. Lisbon used the car remote to locate their vehicle, which was parked towards the middle of the lot. As they neared the black SUV, Jane stopped abruptly. Lisbon stopped about a foot in front of him and turned towards him.

"What?" She questioned curiously. Jane took a few steps back and painfully leaned over, contorting his body in a 90-degree angle so he could look under the car. Lisbon shook her head.

"Patrick, you shouldn't…" She began, but Jane was quick to reply.

"I'm not getting in without checking." He affirmed, looking up at her. Lisbon sighed and gestured for him to straighten up. He did.

"Let me look." She sighed, walking towards the car and squatting so she could look under it. Jane smiled. He knew there was nothing under the car, but he wanted to make sure Lisbon knew it too. That way she wouldn't spend the whole car ride worrying about it and would feel safer. Not to mention, Jane thought it was sweet that she cared enough to check the car and make him feel safer too. It was a nice feeling knowing someone cared that much about him.

"Any bombs?" Jane teased with a cunning smile. Lisbon stood up and frowned at him.

"You're just messing with me." She realized, narrowing her eyes. "Just because you hit your head doesn't mean I won't hurt you." She threatened, but Jane just smiled.

"Actually, it does." He replied, calling her bluff. Lisbon knew he was right, so she turned and opened the passenger-side door for him.

"Get in." She ordered before walking around to the other side. Jane smiled and obeyed.

* * *

Tuesday, 12:05 AM

They finally arrived at Lisbon's apartment. Jane quickly made his way to the couch where he collapsed onto the cushions. The pain had returned for real this time and all he wanted was to lie down and sleep. Lisbon could tell he wasn't feeling well.

"You should be in a hospital." She reminded him. Lisbon threw the car keys on the counter and retrieved two glasses from her kitchen cabinets.

"For a concussion?" He replied, closing his eyes. "He's just protecting himself from a possible lawsuit. Doctors are paranoid about that kind of thing." He explained wearily. Lisbon decided to let the comment drop. She poured some water and then walked over to the couch.

"Here." She motioned, handing him a glass of water and a pill bottle. "Take one." She ordered him. Jane opened his eyes and took the medicine and then set the glass on the coffee table.

"Thanks." He told her, faintly surprised by the gesture.

"If you fall asleep, I'm going to have to wake you up." She reminded him, stepping past the couch and towards the window where she started to close the blinds.

"To check that I'm alive." Jane interjected.

"Yeah." Lisbon replied, wondering why Jane felt the need to be so blunt. To be honest, she was a little shaken up by the incident and only now was it starting to truly set in.

She suddenly wondered what there sleeping arrangements were. "I guess…" She began, but decided to rephrase her question. She paused and moved towards the center of the room so she could see Jane. "Do you want the bed? I can sleep here if it's better for your head." She told him with an uncertain shrug. Jane smiled, seeing right through her question.

"Don't worry about it. Your couch is comfortable." He responded. He flashed her a quick smile before his eyes started to droop closed again. Lisbon nodded and left the room. When she returned she was carrying a blanket and a pillow. She lightly dropped them on Jane, who slowly opened his eyes and processed the gifts. "Thanks." He told her honestly, carefully placing the pillow behind his head and unrolling the blanket.

"I'll be in the other room if you need me." Lisbon told him, pointing to her bedroom next door. Jane smiled.

"Good night, Teresa."

"Night, Patrick." She told him as she turned off the lights and went to bed.


	9. Nightmares

Chapter 9: Nightmares

Tuesday, 3:20 AM

_Teresa watched as the flames grew and shrunk. The fire seemed almost alive as it engulfed the blue classic Citron DS. She knew it was Patrick's car and she somehow knew the scene unfolding before her was her fault. She moved her hands to cover her eyes, but she couldn't block out the image._

_Then her father appeared beside her. He rested a hand on her shoulder before embracing her in a comforting hug. Teresa found herself crying. She felt small and innocent and suddenly realized she was a child._

_"Mommy's dead." She told herself, denial setting in as she watched the flames rise and surround them. She couldn't feel the heat and instead was cold as the warmth of her father dissipated._

_"Daddy!" She screamed before realizing he was gone with the flames. She was suddenly an adult again, standing in the center of CBI headquarters. She watched as Van Pelt and Rigsby talked solemnly in the corner, glancing at her worriedly._

_"What's wrong?" She asked, but they couldn't hear her. Instead Jane walked into the office, followed by Cho. His eyes were red and swollen. She could tell Jane had been crying, but the sadness was gone from his face and had been replaced by anger._

_"Why'd you leave?" He yelled, pointing his finger at her in a forceful accusatory gesture. Lisbon stepped back, suddenly scared by Jane's outburst. She had never seen him so mad and all his anger was directed at her. She found she couldn't speak and could only listen. His bright blue eyes softened. "You killed me." He stated, lowering his finger. She tried to protest, but couldn't. She scanned the scene for a pen and paper, when suddenly Jane handed her a Sharpie. Lisbon thought it was interesting that Jane could still read her mind even in her dreams. "It's permanent." He told her. Lisbon took the pen and wrote 'how?' on her hand and showed it to him. Jane smiled, his emotions shifting quickly._

_"You killed Jaden. It was your fault." He told her, suddenly cheery. Lisbon began to realize how strange this nightmare was. "You left." He continued. "You died. I died." He finished, still smiling. He made no sense to Lisbon, who was completely bemused by his incoherent rant. Jane then raised his hand and showed her his palm. Lisbon recognized Red John's symbol, a red smiley face, painted on his palm in blood. Lisbon screamed and then the room was in flames again and she could feel it burning on her skin. She screamed and began to cry. She couldn't escape. She felt hopeless and trapped, surrounded by flames._

_"Lisbon."_

"Hey, Lisbon." Jane whispered, placing his hand on her shoulder. She was tossing and turning, whimpering in her sleep. Jane didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want her to keep dreaming neither. He shook her arm more forcefully. "Teresa, wake up." He told her, louder than before. She opened her eyes and started flailing fearfully when she noticed a figure sitting on the edge of her bed. Jane held onto her uninjured arm, mindful of her sprained wrist, and tried to calm her. "It's me, Patrick." He told her. She started clinging to his arm, still breathing heavily. Her green eyes were wide and she was shaking, the fire still lingering on her skin. She shut her eyes in an attempt to block out the memories of her nightmare. She took some deep breaths and finally met Jane's concerned gaze.

"W-what are you doing here?" She stuttered, still holding his arm tightly as if to keep hold of reality. She didn't remember why he was at her apartment.

"You were having a nightmare." Jane answered, watching her carefully. "You were yelling." He added. Lisbon kept seeing parts of her dream flash before her eyes, but the overarching fear was fading and the blinding fire was replaced with a room bathed in the bright light of the full moon. It made the room ominous with dark and light shades of black and blue clashing on her bed covers. The only comfort was knowing she wasn't alone.

"I…" She began, suddenly realizing what she'd forgotten to do. "I didn't wake you up." She confessed, sincerely sorry. She was supposed to wake Jane up to make sure he didn't slip into a coma and she had completely forgotten to set her clock.

"Actually, you sort of did." Jane replied, smiling slightly. Lisbon's scream had quickly jolted him from his sleep and left a resonating impact on his concussion. His head was throbbing again, but the pain was bearable.

"Oh… I'm sorry." She apologized, her cheeks glowing a bright red from embarrassment.

"You okay?" Jane asked suspiciously. Jane had a fairly good idea what her nightmare was about, but decided not to ask her about it because he knew Lisbon would rather keep it to herself.

"Yeah." She lied, still a little shaky.

"I don't believe that." Jane responded, reading the guilt in her eyes.

"What if they don't miss next time?" She questioned, feeling vulnerable and unnerved by their near death experience. She hated it and was tempted to take it out on Jane. She wanted to send him away, but she knew she truly wanted and needed the company.

She was conflicted.

"You're not alone on this." Jane commented, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. It occurred to her just how beautiful his eyes really were. He glanced downward before resuming his gaze. "Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt are staking out your apartment." He confessed quickly, hoping it would help her feel safe. She frowned, clearly surprised.

"What? I told them to go home." She argued.

"And I told them not to." Jane countered softly. "They're worried about you." He added. She finally realized she was holding on to Jane's arm and slowly released her grip. Her breathing was still quick, but her hands were still and she had regained her usual composure. However, Jane could still sense her discomfort. "They didn't kill us then and they won't now. They want something and tomorrow they'll make their demands known, but whoever they are, they're patient. They _waited_ for us to go to the car." He explained, knowing logic would soothe her frayed nerves. "I promise nothing's going to happen. No one's going to hurt you." He told her softly, giving her a reassuring smile. Then he leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She faintly blushed and smiled back at him. He was very talented at making her feel better.

"That's actually comforting." Lisbon admitted, relaxing her shoulders.

"Good." Jane replied. "Scoot over." He added, nodding for her to move. She frowned confusedly.

"Why?" She asked dubiously. Nonetheless, she shifted her body to her left, allowing Jane to lay down beside her. He did so and pulled his legs onto the bed. Lisbon smiled slightly, turning on her side so she could face Jane.

"I lied. Your couch isn't that comfortable." He told her, laying on his back. He wanted to keep her company. It reminded him of when his daughter used to have nightmares and how she used to climb into bed between him and his wife. He closed his eyes to block the memory from resurfacing. He needed to consider the living. "Feeling better?" He asked, turning so he could face her. They were mere inches apart. Jane gently placed his hand on her waist and smiled at her.

"Honestly, I feel like a child." She remarked, smiling lightly.

"Great." Jane commented. Lisbon looked at him, confused again. "I needed to get back at you for the mothering." Jane answered with a clever grin.

"For what?" Lisbon asked, unsure of what he was referring too. Jane rolled his eyes.

"The pillows. The water. The persistent questioning." He listed, smiling. Lisbon considered his examples.

"Fine. We're even." She concluded, accepting his point. There was a brief moment of silence. "Thanks." She told him.

"Don't mention it." Jane replied, his eyes drifting closed as the throbbing in his head subsided.


	10. Stake Outs

**Here's a Rigsby/Van Pelt chapter for your enjoyment.**

**I'm sorry for the delay, but finals are next week and my life is chaos.**

Chapter 10: Stake Outs

Tuesday, 3:40 AM

Van Pelt walked down the empty sidewalk with only one streetlight and the light of the moon to guide her path as she returned from her errand. She stepped up beside the parked car and glanced in through the tinted windows. She could see the limp figure of Cho stretched out on the backseats while Rigsby was sitting in the driver's seat with his head resting against the window. Both looked to be sound asleep.

She took a minute to consider her approach before tapping on the Rigsby's window with her knuckle. Rigsby immediately jumped from his slumber with a look of terror etched in his face. Then he recognized Van Pelt waiting outside the vehicle and visibly relaxed. She watched him take a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves and then he proceeded to open the door. She gave him a coy smile as she leaned down so that they were face to face. Rigsby smiled lightly.

"Did I scare you?" She commented slyly.

"Uh… surprised me." Rigsby recovered slowly while Van Pelt smiled incessantly.

"Sleeping on the job?" She added, taking in his bedraggled appearance. Rigsby looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "I brought food," Van Pelt furthered, holding up a paper bag. Rigsby's face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"Thanks! I'm starving." He responded, gladly taking the bag from her grip. She smiled, nodded, and walked around the car to the passenger side. She took a seat and Rigsby noted that she was surprisingly lucid for such an early hour. She immediately turned to him.

"How can you be hungry? It's the middle of the night!" She remarked as he pulled a sandwich out of the bag. "Actually, it's almost four in the morning." She corrected, glancing at her watch.

"There's nothing wrong with a midnight snack." Rigsby defended, eagerly taking a bite. He held up the bag and offered her what remained of the meal. She shook her head.

"No thank you," she replied politely with a genteel smile.

Silence ensued for a few minutes until Rigsby finished his turkey sandwich. He glanced over at Van Pelt, whose eyelids began to droop wearily.

"You should sleep." Rigsby pointed out in an affectionate tone.

"You look a lot more tired than I do," Van Pelt countered lightly. Rigsby's eyes drifted away from the street and came to rest on the woman sitting next to him. The bright moonlight tinted her skin a pale blue and highlighted the purple bruise on her cheek and the subsequent cut below her eye from her encounter with Jaden Peters. Then his eyes drifted to her hair, which was illuminated, revealing a deep, rich shade of red that was akin to fire. Her amber eyes also reflected the light and had a beautiful shine to them, especially when she turned back to face him.

"What are you looking at?" She questioned, drawing Rigsby from his thoughts.

"Nothing." Rigsby lied, hoping she'd accept his clumsy answer. She didn't.

"You're staring at me." She observed, seeing past his defense. Her eyes seemed to smile cleverly.

"You're glowing." Rigsby confessed with a nervous grin. Van Pelt's gaze shifted to the floor. She used her left hand to brush a strand of hair from her face and pull it behind her ear. A light pink hue graced her cheeks as she smiled shyly. Rigsby noted how her hair was down and how it fell gracefully on her shoulders.

Her name definitely suited her. She was the epitome of grace.

Then the memory of Jane's comment yesterday came to mind and he wondered whether she let her hair down at his request. This thought made him feel uneasy.

"Thanks," she replied, enjoying his attention. Rigsby sensed an awkward tension developing between them and quickly broke eye contact in favor of Lisbon's apartment. They sat in silence for several more minutes.

"Do you think it's weird that Jane's staying at Lisbon's apartment?" Rigsby asked, breaking the silence. Van Pelt glanced at him confusedly. _They are a couple… it would seem fitting considering the circumstances_, she thought to herself. She didn't know that Rigsby was unaware of the two's relationship.

"Not really. The doctor said that he shouldn't be alone." She answered matter-of-factly with an indifferent shrug. The conversation faded quickly leaving them to sit again in silence. Van Pelt turned her head to look at Cho's sleeping figure. His face revealed content as he slouched lazily against the leather seats. She wondered whether he was at all uncomfortable in his position, but the peaceful rise and fall of his chest seemed to say otherwise.

"You like dancing, right?" Rigsby asked suddenly. Van Pelt quickly met his eyes.

"Sure." She replied promptly, her eyes questioning his intent. Rigsby turned in his seat so he was facing her.

"I was thinking we should go dancing again," he explained, recalling their first date at the fundraising dinner and how she had wanted to dance and how he had reluctantly accepted. Rigsby could tell that Van Pelt's mind was jumping to the same memory, her thoughts made evident in her features. She was remembering his first attempts at dancing and how he had stepped on her feet too many times to count. "Hey! I improved." Rigsby countered as he could tell what Van Pelt was apparently thinking. She laughed slightly in response and Rigsby realized just how much he loved her smile.

"You did, but you still need some work." She remarked cheerily. She considered his request before finally arriving at an answer. "It'd be fun," she replied, yet Rigsby picked up on a tone of hesitance and, perhaps, apprehension towards the idea. He watched her intently, looking for any gateway into her thoughts.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, his voice revealing an unconcealed tone of worry.

"Of course not." Van Pelt responded quickly, trying to maintain a confident composure, yet Rigsby still felt something was wrong.

"You seem uncertain." He observed, a hint of disappointment in his eyes as he turned away.

"I'm just working through some things." She confessed, trying to avoid hurting his feelings.

"Is that why you cancelled our date tonight?" Rigsby muttered, his hands fidgeting in his lap.

"It's not about you." She responded forcefully, wanting desperately to calm his suspicions and free herself from her rising guilt. "Trust me." She added sincerely. Rigsby nodded and they both looked back towards the apartment building.

"Nothing's going to happen." Rigsby announced, doubting that the bomber would strike again so soon after his first attempt.

"You don't know that." Van Pelt commented, her eyes focusing on him as she spoke. He could tell that she wasn't referring to their surveillance, but rather to their relationship. She gave him a coy smile as if to make up for her previous hesitance. "Stake outs are sort of romantic." She added with a shrug as she leaned against the armrest until she wasn't far from Rigsby's face. She felt her heart flutter as his eyes met hers. She was undeniably attracted to him and yet a part of her fought against her sudden resolve.

He watched her and attempted to read her eyes, but found that her motives were fiercely guarded. He leaned forward slightly, not wanting to mess up the moment, but found she intimidated him. His need to make things perfect and impress her outweighed his common sense.

"Grace, can I kiss you?" He asked tentatively, as their lips were mere inches apart. Van Pelt smiled at the man's insecurity, especially since this wasn't their first kiss.

"You're actually asking for permission?" She commented with the hint of a laugh in her voice. She reached her hand up and rested it on his cheek before he leaned in and initiated the kiss. Their lips pressed together and Van Pelt adjusted her position as her fingers traced a path past his cheek and down to the back of his neck. He gently cupped his hands around her face as the kiss became more passionate.

He pulled her towards him.

"I'm all for you two working out your issues, but if this gets any more heated, I'm kicking you both to the curb." Cho announced suddenly, his tone lacking any subtlety. The statement emphasized the fact that it would not be _him_ that would leave the car and that he had every intention of kicking the two lovebirds out. Rigsby and Van Pelt immediately broke of the kiss, surprised by the sudden and unwelcome interruption. Cho remained unmoved, his eyes still closed tightly, and for a moment, both agents wondered whether he had in fact spoken. Then they noticed a faint smirk on his lips.

"Cho, way to ruin the moment." Rigsby chastised him, yet Cho simply shrugged, seemingly unperturbed. Van Pelt sat back in her seat and brushed her hand against her lips, still feeling the lingering warmth.

Ten minutes later, she was the only person awake and she found herself trapped in her thoughts. _Why can't I accept my obvious feelings for him?_

_What's holding me back? _

**If anyone was wondering, this story is definitely not over and will be longer than the first one. I do know where I'm going with this and I have planned out an ending. **

**Reviews are always appreciated! They make my day!  
**


	11. Alarm Clocks

**I think the technical glitch was a sign that I should spend more time studying and less time on fanfiction, but now finals are almost over (just one more to go!) and I should be catching up on my writing in the next week. **

Chapter 11: Alarm Clocks

Tuesday, 7:00 AM

Lisbon woke up to the blaring sound of her alarm clock. Her eyes were still closed and her first thought was how strange it was to be woken up by her actual alarm instead of Jane. Then she began to wonder why Jane hadn't come over to wake her up. That's when she opened her green eyes and realized he was fast asleep beside her. Actually, he was very close to her, with his arms wrapped around her and his hands resting on the small of her back. Lisbon then noticed that she was hugging him back instead of hugging her usual pillow. His face was mere inches away from hers and she couldn't help but smile contently.

Jane and Lisbon hadn't shared too many intimate moments as of yet, so the nearness came as a pleasant surprise. It wasn't that they hadn't spent time together because, in truth, they had become almost inseparable; it was simply that Jane wasn't ready. Lisbon understood that. They had kissed several times, but Jane was gentle and reserved. Lisbon tried to hide her disappointment when he broke off the tender kisses, but, of course, Jane would always see right past her pretense and would flash her a charming smile or caress her hand as compensation. She knew he liked her and was attracted to her, but they had agreed to take it slow. After all, they were still getting used to the idea of being a couple.

Lisbon just watched him sleep peacefully, a rare occurrence in itself, and though she didn't want to, she forced herself to pull away slightly, squirming towards her alarm clock so she could turn it off. She then looked back at Jane who still hadn't moved. She sat up, suddenly worried that Jane was comatose, but was instantly relieved when he muttered, "10 more minutes," as if he had sensed her worry.

She frowned at the request and was quick with a reply. "_Now_ you want to sleep in? After weeks of waking me up before dawn?" She remarked, enjoying her sweet revenge. She was tempted to stay in bed, but couldn't shake her sense of obligation to her team and to her job.

"We have an excuse not to go in." Jane reminded her, finally opening his eyes. He was blinded by the light from the window and it made his head ache painfully. He rolled over onto his back and squinted his eyes as he watched her debate whether to stay or go.

"We're in the middle of a case." She reasoned, her tone somewhat regretful.

"5 minutes." Jane pleaded with a comical smile on his lips. Lisbon smiled back.

"_You_ made the team sleep in a car all night." She reminded him. She noted his disheveled appearance. His hair was tousled in all directions and his shirt was wrinkled. He was still wearing his blue shirt and vest, but his jacket, and shoes were tossed aside somewhere in her apartment. Dressing was still wrapped around his head and was an unsettling reminder of yesterday's bombing.

"They volunteered." Jane argued. Lisbon smiled, leaned down, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. His blue eyes sparkled and he looked perfectly content lying there.

"I have to get up." Lisbon admitted, pulling off the covers and getting to her feet. Jane sighed and tried to sit up. He suddenly felt light-headed and decided to lie back down.

"I feel like I have a hangover." He told her through gritted teeth. Lisbon walked around the bed and towards the bathroom.

"Maybe your boss will give you the day off." She quipped in a cheery tone before disappearing into the bathroom. He finally pulled himself up to a sitting position and shifted his feet to the floor.

"I better head home and change." He announced.

"The doctor said you shouldn't drive." She responded quickly, suddenly appearing in the doorway. Her eyes expressed urgency.

"No he didn't." Jane frowned, wondering what Lisbon was so worried about it. He didn't live too far away and he was perfectly capable of driving.

"You are not driving." She affirmed her position. Her dream kept flashing back in her mind with Jane's car burning in a sea of flames. "Please?" She asked seriously, practically begging him to wait. "Just… leave your car here." She pleaded. "I can drive you." She offered.

Jane watched her curiously, but finally decided to accept her request without knowing why. "I'll get Van Pelt to drive me." He concluded. Lisbon accepted this and faintly nodded.

The lighting in the room highlighted the scratches that were etched into her face from the falling glass. He knew she was scratched up, but he didn't truly notice the scars until this very moment. Lisbon flashed a brief, nervous smile before shutting the bathroom door so she could take a shower. She turned to a mirror for the first time since the explosion and noticed the same thing Jane did. She examined the scars and frowned, hoping they would heal completely and soon.  


* * *

Tuesday, 7:30 AM

Jane approached the car from behind and quickly opened the passenger-side door while balancing two cups of coffee in his hands. He slipped into the seat and slammed the door, purposefully jolting Van Pelt from her slumber. She jumped, her eyes wide with shock. She looked over at Jane and finally relaxed her shoulders with relief.

"Good morning." Jane remarked cheerily, handing her a coffee. It took her a moment to process the gesture and accept the cup.

"Morning," she commented wearily. "What are you doing here?" She asked, suddenly noticing his messy hair and wrinkled suit easily masked by his bright smile.

"Van Pelt, can you give me a ride home? I need to pick up some stuff." He asked, already strapping himself into the seat.

"Sure, Jane." Van Pelt replied, still a little slow. "Are you feeling better?" She asked, starting the car.

"Actually, I feel like crap." He answered candidly, taking a sip of his own coffee. This surprised Van Pelt because he seemed to be in a good mood. Then again, Jane was the master of masking his emotions when he wanted to.

A few minutes into the drive, Jane finally said it. "If you're going to date Rigsby, date Rigsby. Don't _sort of_ date Rigsby." He commented, glancing over at the red head.

"What are you talking about?" She responded, but Jane caught the hint of dread that had flashed in her eyes.

"You're sending Rigsby mixed signals. Either tell him you like him or tell him you don't." He stated bluntly, making the decision a simple one. She frowned.

"Rigsby and I are fine." Van Pelt defended forcefully.

"Not according to Rigsby." Jane quipped, not intimidated by Van Pelt's glare. "I'm not saying you have to marry him. Just show him some compassion." He furthered, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Are you saying I'm not compassionate?" She responded firmly. Jane began to wonder if Van Pelt was in the best state of mind to have this conversation.

"When you're involved with someone, that person should be important to you. You need to show him that you actually care about him." He explained, trying not to be too accusatory. He was well aware that him and Van Pelt had a tendency to argue.

"I do care about him!" She exclaimed, stopping abruptly at the red light. Jane nearly spilled his coffee all over his suit.

"Yeah, as a friend." He countered, the argument becoming more heated. This wasn't something Van Pelt wanted to talk about, but Jane knew she had to face up to it eventually. She couldn't keep pushing it under the rug. "I care about him. Lisbon cares about him. Cho cares about him." He expounded. He then softened his tone. "In your eyes, he should stand apart." Van Pelt considered this and silence ensued for several minutes.

"We're fine." She finally concluded. Jane shrugged, knowing that his words had set in even if she was pretending they didn't.

After another minute, Van Pelt decided to change the subject because she didn't want Jane to be mad at her and vice-versa. They had become close friends in the past few weeks, each going to each other for advice on their relationships, and she didn't want to jeopardize their friendship over a silly argument, especially since Jane had been right. "Any ideas as to who planted the bomb?" It probably wasn't the best topic to switch to, but she was genuinely curious as to his thoughts and at the moment it was the only thing her tired mind could think of.

"I don't know yet." Jane responded casually, his eyes glancing out the window.

"It's unsettling…, but I'm glad you guys are okay." She continued, wanting to let him know that she was worried about them. "Did you call your parents? The incident was all over the news, they may be worried." She added, her eyes expressing concern. Jane considered her words and suddenly had an idea.

_Jaden was shaken up_, he thought to himself, recalling the first time he saw him and how he seemed quiet and distant.

"What?" Van Pelt asked, wondering what Jane was thinking about.

"If you had just killed someone and you were scared and confused, where would you go?" He asked suddenly. The question surprised Van Pelt.

"I don't really know… I wouldn't kill anyone… why?" She answered, but he just watched her expectantly. "I guess I'd go to someone I could trust." She added. Jane faced forward again, his mind working a mile a minute. "Do you think the bombing had something to do with this case?" She questioned.

"I think I have a lead." He commented, his lips curving into a clever grin.


	12. Brothers

**This chapter has been revised.**

**So, I went back to actually re-watch the episode Red Tide and it turns out, Lisbon's father is dead.**

**O.o**

**This was the first episode of _The Mentalist_ I ever saw, so when I saw it, I must not have been paying attention at the end. Then, the second time I saw it, I missed the very end for some reason and only heard the part about her mother being killed in a drunk driving accident.**

**Now that the facts have come to my attention, I have two choices:**

**1) Rewrite the chapter.**

**2) Build off of my own character backgrounds.**

**I've decided on number 1, so I'll change the caller to her brother and fix the small reference to her father in the second chapter.  
**

**Thanks for the reviews and I'm sorry for the delay.**

**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Brothers

Tuesday, 9:10 AM

Lisbon was sitting alone in her office with the door closed and the blinds drawn. She had wanted some privacy, knowing that she had to call her brothers before they had a chance to panic over the morning news. It had been released to the public that two agents had been injured in a car bombing at CBI headquarters and she wanted to make sure that she was the first person to tell them. "I'm fine." She assured her little brother. Apparently, he had already seen the news. "It's just a minor injury. It's nothing to worry about." She continued in a calm, reassuring tone. After years of reassuring victim's families, she had honed her placating skills. "I probably wouldn't have called." She added, listening carefully to her brother's worried voice. David was the most prone to anxiety of her two brothers and because he wasn't too much younger than her, she and him always looked out for each other and also for their littlest brother, Robert.

Just as she finished speaking, Jane entered her office without knocking. His unannounced entries usually annoy her, but today, she was glad to see him. He had become a comforting presence and she was becoming more accustomed to allowing him access to her personal life. Ever since the first and only time he brought her to his house and showed her his bleak and empty life, she felt more comfortable showing him her own problems.

"David!" She exclaimed in an attempt to interrupt his rant on how dangerous it was to be a cop. Lisbon briefly made eye contact with Jane who silently closed the door and slipped into the seat across from her. He didn't make a sound as he leaned forward and picked up the black stapler on her desk. "I know I should take the day off okay, but I can't. The bomber is still at large." Lisbon replied, her focus returning to her conversation. She sighed and brushed her hand across her forehead. "Don't worry about me. I'll call you later." She assured, leaving no room for him to argue. She glanced up at Jane. "Yes, I'll come to the reunion," Lisbon surrendered, wanting to end the discussion. Jane began to turn the stapler over in his hands, pretending to examine it for any imperfections. Lisbon knew he was eavesdropping. "Yes, I promise." She added, rolling her eyes. "I miss you too, David." Lisbon finished with a small smile. Then she hung up and the room was silent for a minute. Jane finally looked up at her and smiled. "What is it, Patrick?" Lisbon asked, recognizing the glimmer of mischief in his blue eyes. Jane shook his head, as if erasing the thought.

"I think Rigsby and Van Pelt should interview Jaden's brother." He stated directly, setting the stapler back on her desk before meeting her eyes.

"Jaden's dead. We need to find the bomber first." Lisbon replied logically as she shuffled some papers on her desk.

"I think there's a connection." Jane reasoned, sitting back in the seat. Lisbon looked up at him curiously.

"Why the brother?" She asked.

"I have a hunch," Jane shrugged.

"Why don't you go then?" Lisbon inquired, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "I need Van Pelt to check the online database and you know she's the best with computers." She explained.

"I think Rigsby and Van Pelt need to spend more time together." Jane lied. Lisbon tilted her head slightly, trying her best to uncover his true motives.

"You want to stay here so you can make sure nothing happens to me," she concluded.

"That too," Jane answered, not denying the fact.

"Overly-protective, are we?" Lisbon commented lightly, yet as soon as she said it she regretted it. Jane's usual carefree composure transformed and was replaced by a serious expression with a hint of sadness in his eyes. It suddenly occurred to Lisbon that Jane's family had been killed and that he probably blamed himself for not being there to protect them. This thought sent a shiver down her spine and made her shift uneasily in her seat. She had never really considered how this would affect Jane's feelings towards her and it would make sense for him to be overly protective of her. Being in a dangerous line of work, she wasn't sure how she felt about this. "I'll stay here. I won't leave for anything." She told him in her most convincing tone. His eyes softened. "I promise. Van Pelt and Cho can stay here with me." She assured him. "Plus, no one else will know what to look for." She added logically, well aware that only Jane would know what to ask the brother. Jane seemed to relax as his eyes drifted to the files on her desk.

"You talked to him on the phone, correct?" He asked, accepting her promise.

"Who? The brother?" Lisbon questioned.

"Yeah. How did he react when you told him?" Jane furthered, making eye contact.

"He was distressed, angry. Why?" Lisbon replied honestly.

"Was he angry at you?" Jane asked, intrigued.

"The man lost his brother. It was understandable." She explained. Jane wasn't convinced.

"What is it, Jane?" Lisbon asked as he stood and left her office with a new sense of determination. She stood up and followed.

"Rigsby, can you get us a car?" Jane announced as he entered the main office. Rigsby and Cho were sitting at their respective desks while Van Pelt had yet to arrive after going home to shower and change.

"Sure," Rigsby replied. Lisbon appeared beside Jane.

"You know you look like an escaped mental patient," Cho remarked, his gaze focused on the bandage wrapped around Jane's head.

"I get that a lot," Jane replied with a clever grin.

"Patrick," Lisbon announced, drawing his attention. Jane turned and faced her with a smile still on his face.

"Yes." He answered obediently. Lisbon wanted to know what Jane was thinking and she knew that if she asked he would probably tell her, yet she decided instead to trust his judgment for once. She was worried she might regret it later and was usually wary of trusting anyone, but she felt she owed Jane a little faith. After all, he was usually right.

"Follow protocol," she reminded him. Jane's smile broadened.

"There's a protocol?" He asked mischievously before brushing past Lisbon and following Rigsby out of the office.

She couldn't help but smile.


	13. Hostages

**I'm very sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 13: Hostages

Tuesday, 11:50 AM

Lisbon was starting to get antsy being confined to her office. Normally she would have no intention or reason to want to leave, but knowing that she couldn't if she wanted to was becoming unnerving. She wasn't exactly sure where she wanted to go, but she was starting to get sick of the same four walls that concealed her office. After all, she had finished all the paperwork so far on the murder of Andrew Till and the subsequent bombing. Even though Jane claimed there was a connection, Lisbon sorted the evidence into two separate files until they were sure they were related. Speaking of Jane, he and Rigsby had yet to return from visiting Jaden's brother and she hadn't gotten a call from them. Now that she had little left to do at the office, she was starting to wish she had gone with Jane to question the "suspect."

Then there was the foreboding feeling that had lingered around her all morning. It caused her to be restless and she felt nervous every time she wondered what was taking Rigsby and Jane so long. Her eyes kept drifting to her cell phone as if expecting a call from them at any moment.

Finally she abandoned the files and sat back in her chair, rubbing her eyes with her palms. _Jane is fine_, she told herself. _He's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. _

Her thoughts did little to pacify her worry, so she decided to distract herself by talking to the rest of the team. She stood up, grabbed her phone, and exited her room into the adjoining main office. Cho and Van Pelt were sitting at their respective desks. Cho briefly glanced up from the papers on his desk; while Van Pelt remained enthralled by whatever research she was conducting on her computer. Lisbon entered silently and meandered over to Cho's desk. She looked down at him, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Yes, boss?" Cho asked, clearly indifferent.

"Have you… heard from Jane and Rigsby?" Lisbon asked, trying to conceal her unease. Cho glanced up at her and shook his head before resuming his work. Lisbon then turned around and wandered toward the other side of the office, deep in thought. She kept questioning whether in fact she had been the target of the attack. She had driven him to work that morning so the bomber could've known that she would drive him home. Maybe Jane really was in danger. She shook her head as a means of erasing her premonitions. She then pulled her phone out of her pocket, intending to call him, when it suddenly started ringing. Lisbon glanced at the caller ID to find it unlisted. She frowned curiously and answered.

"Agent Teresa Lisbon," she announced in a professional tone.

"Hello Teresa. It's nice to finally _see_ you." A man's voice explained evenly. She didn't recognize the voice, but the way he said 'see you' hinted at some masked, sinister intention. She was overwhelmed with an intuitive sense of alarm and quickly looked around the office.

"Who is this?" She questioned brusquely, seeing no one.

"Wipe that alarmed look of your face and don't you dare signal to your colleagues." The man ordered, raising his voice angrily. Lisbon froze and focused her gaze on the security camera stationed on the ceiling in the corner of the room. Something about what he said made her feel she had everything to lose if she didn't listen. He had the upper hand, but she had yet to know why.

"Okay." She answered calmly, glancing at Cho and Van Pelt. Both were oblivious to her phone call.

"You're a smart lady. I'm sure you already know where I am." The man uttered cruelly. Lisbon could feel him watching her through the camera and it made her shudder dreadfully. She kept her composure, willing to listen to what the man had to say. "What you don't know is that I have a gun pointed at a man's head and if you don't do as I say, I _will_ kill him."

A strange numbing sensation paralyzed her and her eyes widened fearfully. Her first thought was Jane and Rigsby, the image of Jane as a hostage quickly flashing through her mind. After a quick moment though, her mind quickly dispelled her conclusion. This man, who she had already guessed was the bomber, was watching her from the security room. Jane and Rigsby were far away from here and couldn't possibly be his captives. With that deduction came the unsettling fact that she was the target. Lisbon's suspicions were confirmed when the phone shifted hands and a man's quick unsteady breathing could be heard through the static.

"I'm sorry, L-lisbon." The familiar voice stuttered fearfully. She immediately recognized the young man as Steven, the security guard that Jane claimed had a crush on her. Lisbon took a deep breath and tried her best to stay calm, but her heart was pounding erratically.

"We wouldn't want any more innocent blood on your hands…" The bomber's voice returned callously.

"What do you want?" Lisbon questioned harshly, raising her voice slightly.

"Careful with your tone." The man countered quickly. Lisbon glared at the camera, but said nothing. She knew this guy was serious; it was evident in his shrewd voice. "I want you to leave the room." He continued.

"They'll want to know where I'm going." She whispered, using all her control to keep her voice quiet so as not to raise suspicions.

"Lie," he ordered curtly.

Lisbon couldn't believe this was happening. They were holding Steven hostage from within the CBI building! She had quickly become a puppet, knowing that if she didn't listen to the bomber she would be jeopardizing an innocent man's life. If it had only been herself she would have risked it all, but she couldn't resign Steven to a miserable, undeserved fate. She simply couldn't.

It had also occurred to her that the man could be lying and that Steven was dead either way… but she couldn't chance it. He was right. She would never forgive herself if he died because of her.

She couldn't live with his blood on her hands.

Lisbon was terrified, but her face concealed it as she made her way to the exit. "Where are you going?" Cho reacted immediately, sitting up in his chair. Lisbon paused before turning to him, trying her best to glare at him with the phone still on her ear.

"It's an important call and I can't get a signal." She lied quickly. Had Jane been there, he would've called her bluff instantly. She really wished Jane was there. "It's with my brother." She added convincingly.

"You can borrow my phone." Van Pelt interjected kindly. Lisbon's eyes darted around the room.

"No, I'm just going to head down the hall to see if it gets better." She furthered sternly.

"I'll come…" Cho offered.

"I'm not leaving the building. Don't worry, okay?" Lisbon snapped. Cho frowned at her, not backing down.

"Jane told me not to leave you alone and I tend to agree." He affirmed bluntly, now standing at his desk. Lisbon frowned. She truly wanted to tell him and get his help… but she was being watched.

"It's an order." She told him coolly. Van Pelt was taken back by her tone, but Cho simply eyed her suspiciously before sitting down obediently. Lisbon paused before hurrying out of the room and into the relatively empty hall.

"You're an excellent liar," the man commented.

"What is it that you want from me?" Lisbon growled.

"Keep heading down the hall and drop your weapon in the trash can on your right." The man ordered impatiently. She reluctantly obeyed, but walked slowly in an attempt to buy time. She needed to get help, but she had no way of communicating without Steven paying the price.

She needed to call Jane.

"People will get suspicious if I keep talking." She lied in an attempt to hang up the phone.

"Now why would that be?" The man asked skeptically, seemingly distracted. "Leave the building and get in the red Ford Explorer parked out front." He continued, still sounding sidetracked.

"Are you okay, Lisbon?" Her boss asked, approaching her in the hall, drawing her away from the conversation. Lisbon looked up and saw the acute concern in his eyes.

This was her chance.

"Um… yes fine." She lied, naturally using the moment to shut her phone and slip it into her pocket. She knew it was a slight risk, but she had to send someone to save Steven and hopefully herself, and her boss was the best excuse she had.

"Good." Her boss replied curtly, still eyeing her suspiciously. "I heard about the explosion. I'm very glad you and Jane are alright." He explained, yet Lisbon noted the hint of questioning in his eyes regarding why Jane was there in the first place. Thankfully, he didn't persist. "Any ideas who may have been behind it?" He added, clearly interested.

"I think we're getting closer." Lisbon replied anxiously, still paranoid. She inconspicuously reached her hand in her pocket and dialed.  
**  
Does anyone know the name of Lisbon's boss? **


	14. Phone Calls

**Wow! All those reviews inspired me to finish this chapter and post it. Thank you for the feedback!**

Chapter 14: Phone Calls

Tuesday, 12:10 PM

Jane nervously tapped his fingers on the dashboard, his mind mulling over all the circumstances surrounding their current case. Rigsby and him had gone to the residence of Matthew Peters to find that no one was home. Then, without Rigsby's consent, Jane had picked the lock and entered the small paneled home. He searched the place for any clues and wasn't really surprised to find the house was spotless and lacked any evidence as to who lived there. It had furniture, but everything was generic. There were no pictures on the walls and no clothes in the closets, leading Jane to believe that someone was covering their tracks and had practically evacuated the premises. Matthew had no plans to ever return.

The most important observation Jane made during the break-in, however, was that he had a garage. Now he was almost positive he could prove Matthew was the bomber… well, prove is a strong word. Everything he had was circumstantial and there was a big chance Matthew had already fled the country, abandoning his need for revenge, or at least Jane hoped so. Jane couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he shouldn't have left Lisbon at the office.

"Are you okay, Jane?" Rigsby asked, sparing a glance in his direction as he was driving. Jane wasn't acting like his normal, carefree self. Jane didn't look at him and instead trained his gaze on the cars passing them by. Occasionally, a driver would catch Jane staring at them and would make eye contact for a fleeting moment. In every brief connection, he could read a person's truest emotions as they flashed in their eyes and he would guess what that person was like and where they were from. Then, they would drive away and Jane knew he would never see them again and he would never know who they were. "Jane?" Rigsby added, his voice brimming with concern.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Jane confessed. Just as he finished speaking, his phone started ringing. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and noticed that Lisbon was calling him.

"Hello," he answered naturally, but all he could hear was static and the murmurs of voices whispering in his ear. Jane frowned and placed his free hand over his other ear in an attempt to pick out the distant voices. It sounded like there was a barrier distorting the sounds and he guessed that Lisbon's phone was in her pocket. He considered that she might have dialed him by accident, but then remembered that Lisbon's phone flips closed and that it would be impossible to accidentally dial from her pocket. A sudden sense of dread overwhelmed him.

"I have...go," came one voice, which he easily recognized as Lisbon's. Her tone was controlled and strained and he could immediately tell something was wrong.

"Bye." A quieter, lower voice replied and he guessed that it was Minnelli's. Then there was silence and he could only decipher a faint rustling sound and the intermittent static.

"Teresa?" Jane asked in a strangely timid and quiet voice as if fearing she wouldn't answer. Rigsby glanced at him with a deeply worried expression, not sure he'd ever heard Jane sound so hesitant.

"Patrick…send…to…security room." Lisbon said in a quiet, barely perceptible voice. Her words were broken by the unruly static and the distracting sounds of the car engine, but Jane could still make out most of what she said. He knew immediately something was _very_ wrong.

"Teresa, I can't hear you," Jane explained, but Lisbon didn't answer and instead continued talking.

"I'm… duress." Jane froze, his mind filling in the pieces. He suddenly turned to Rigsby, his eyes expressing urgency.

"Rigsby, get back to CBI." He ordered. Rigsby tried to protest, but Jane forcefully demanded, "Now!" Rigsby obeyed and quickly made a very dangerous (probably illegal) lane change as their car accelerated and quickly broke the speed limit. "Use the lights, but not the sirens." He added, turning his attention back to what Lisbon was saying. "Teresa? What's going on?" He pleaded, but at this point he realized Lisbon couldn't hear him. Jane waited a long minute for her to continue and in that minute he had to do all he could not to panic.

"A man called…he's watching me." She explained, an undercurrent of fear in her voice. "He's holding Steven hostage." She added and Jane was already putting the scenario together. The key was the security room. Jane turned back to Rigsby.

"Call Cho. Tell him to find Lisbon and send someone to the security room immediately." He ordered and Rigsby nodded, fear flashing in his eyes. The static worsened and Jane couldn't decipher any of her words and could only hear the soft melodic tone of her voice as it mumbled incoherently. Jane was starting to think they were too late when suddenly her voice returned.

"They drive a red Ford Explorer," she explained, her voice coming out clearly over the receiver. Meanwhile, Rigsby had just informed Cho. He had mumbled something like 'crap' before abandoning the phone on his desk as he presumably ran down the hall in search of his boss.

"I can't be responsible for any more deaths." Lisbon confessed with a new sense of determination in her voice. Jane shut his eyes to block out his fears. _We're too late_, he told himself and he could tell that Lisbon knew it too.

"Patrick… please find me." Her voice was barely a whisper, but her words were enough to break his heart. Everything was being taken away from him… again. If he lost Teresa, he wouldn't have anything left to live for.

"Get in," a man mumbled and Jane just kept his eyes closed, concentrating hard to recognize the voice. Lisbon, however, did better than that. She wasn't about to give in.

"Rebecca and Gavin." She announced confidently, making sure that her voice was loud enough for Jane to hear her. There was no trace of fear in her voice as she met her captors and she was quick to reveal to Jane any information she deemed useful. "Is Kyle in on this too?" She sneered with venom. Jane couldn't help but smirk slightly, but his smile was short-lived.

"She just got in a car. Cho's too late." Jane informed Rigsby in an unsettling, despairing tone. Rigsby was having a hard time focusing on the road and his face now expressed pure confusion, having no idea what was going on.

"We're almost there." Rigsby assured Jane, but his attention was focused elsewhere.

"You'll be quiet if you know what's best for you." Gavin threatened, his voice gruff and cruel. Jane imagined that Lisbon didn't even flinch.

"Where are we going? Your house is in the opposite direction." Lisbon inquired, giving Jane the direction their car was headed. As soon as she said it though, Gavin caught on to what she was doing.

"Who are you tipping off?" Gavin questioned angrily. "Where's your phone?" He demanded and then Jane could only listen as he heard the struggle. He felt helpless. It was painful listening on while his girlfriend was being abducted.

"Hey! Let go of me." Lisbon demanded as Jane heard her fighting him off in the backseat of the car. His hand coiled into a fist as he fought off the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. Jane listened as Lisbon was overpowered and the phone shifted hands, the voices suddenly resonating much clearer. He actually heard the impact of Gavin's hand against, he presumed, Lisbon's face and the light whimper that followed. It made Jane flinch, his bright blue eyes suddenly clouding with hate.

"Patrick Jane. Is he your boyfriend or something?" Gavin questioned, probably looking at the caller I.D. He didn't recognize his name and didn't put the phone to his ear. "Don't you dare cross us," he stated menacingly and Jane wasn't sure whether he was talking to him or Lisbon. Then, just as he finished speaking, a loud, painful screech erupted from the phone and forced Jane to drop it on the floor of the car. He quickly moved his hands to hold his head tightly as his concussion suddenly returned with a vengeance as a result of the piercing screech. It was like nails on a chalkboard.

"Dammit," he cursed, closing his eyes to shut out the world as the awful sound continued to echo in his ears.

"Ja-" Rigsby tried to ask, but Jane interrupted him.

"They smashed her phone," he explained through gritted teeth as he found it hard to focus. "They're headed south." He added, implying that Rigsby should call Cho.

Rigsby informed Cho and assured Jane at the same time. "Just one more minute." Jane knew it was too late to find Lisbon, but maybe it wasn't too late to catch her abductor. He slowly moved his hands away from his head and opened his eyes to find that they were coming up on CBI headquarters. As they neared the entrance, Cho's car exited the gated complex and pulled in front of them with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Rigsby was planning to follow when Jane interrupted his train of thought.

"Stop here." He told him as he leaned down and grabbed his cell phone off the floor.

"What? Why?" Rigsby uttered, but Jane's serious gaze told him to just do it. He stopped in the middle of the road and Jane quickly got out and hurried down the sidewalk and towards the entrance to CBI. He hurriedly flashed his I.D. to the guard at the gates and rushed into the building in search of Van Pelt.

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	15. Unanswered Questions

**I forgot to put time stamps on the last three chapters so I went back and added them (if anyone was wondering). Here's a long chapter. Enjoy.**

Chapter 15: Unanswered Questions

Tuesday, 12:27 PM

Jane knew that he would be no help to Cho and Rigsby in their pursuit of Lisbon and her abductors. There was only a small chance that they would be able to catch them by car while touring an intricate patchwork of interconnecting streets crowded with traffic. He hoped they would find her, but Jane decided that his skills were at better use at the scene of the abduction.

As soon as he entered the building, a worried Van Pelt met him in the hall. She felt a little helpless, not sure how she could help with Lisbon's predicament. As soon as she saw Jane, she was tempted to give him a hug and tell him something akin to "it'll be okay," but she restrained herself and tried to maintain her professional composure. Jane slowed his pace and silently passed Van Pelt, expecting her to follow.

News had already started to spread around headquarters that an agent had been abducted from within CBI. Most people couldn't believe it and Jane was one of them. An array of unanswered questions began to filter through his mind as he traced Lisbon's steps.

Jane's mind began to work independent of the world around him and he ignored the crowd of agents filing through the halls, sparing curious glances in his direction. Jane had always been a prominent name in CBI gossip, not because of his past, which was hardly mentioned or even known, but because of his outrageous stunts and unique 'psychic' abilities. Even before Jane and Lisbon went on their first date, rumors had been circling the offices regarding a possible relationship between him and Lisbon and now, at the possibility of Lisbon being the kidnapping victim, all attention was on Jane. Even though most people dispelled the rumors of their relationship, it was a well-known fact that her and Jane were good friends.

Van Pelt followed him, her eyes shifting around the room nervously, still feeling out of place. She wished she knew what Jane was looking for as his eyes scanned the familiar walls for any clues. The redheaded agent had recognized a faint glimmer of fear in Jane's normally calm eyes and he seemed a bit shaky and anxious, but otherwise, he acted as if this was any other case.

"They're going to find her. They only left minutes before us." She assured him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Jane didn't look at her and continued down the hall, his eyes occasionally meeting the security cameras posted on every corner.

"They might." He answered plainly, his focus elsewhere. "The guy's smart. He has an exit strategy." He deferred, obviously trying to understand the man behind the hostage situation. As soon as Cho had received the call from Rigsby, he had ordered Van Pelt to the security room while he went after Lisbon. When she arrived at the room the gunmen was gone and the security guard was paralyzed in his chair, clearly in shock after being held at gunpoint.

"Whoever it was, he was gone when we got there, but we found the security guard. He's a little shook up, but okay." She informed Jane, who simply nodded absently in reply. Van Pelt needed to know that Jane was okay. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around to face her. Jane was a little surprised by Van Pelt's boldness. Her expression was solemn and her voice was soft and comforting with a trace of guilt in her eyes. "They're going to find her."

Jane quickly noticed that Van Pelt was having a hard time wrapping her mind around what had just happened and that she felt obligated to comfort him, partly because she's a genuinely caring person and partly because she blamed herself. Jane couldn't help but harbor some resentment towards her, after all he had trusted her and Cho to make sure Lisbon was safe. He knew the feeling would soon pass, but for now, he really needed to concentrate on his work and the situation at hand.

"I know it helps you to tell yourself that, but it doesn't help me. I need to focus." He explained, gently placing his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture. The moment quickly passed and both of them, on Jane's queue, resumed their investigation. "Why'd you let her leave?" Jane asked curiously, turning back towards her and trying his best not to make it sound like an accusation.

"She said she was talking to her brother and there was a bad connection. She was very snappy about it." Van Pelt replied. "I should've noticed something was wrong." She added sadly. Jane frowned.

"Did she have her gun?" He questioned. Van Pelt's gaze drifted as she recalled the memory.

"I think so." She told him uncertainly. Jane then started to look around the room in search of something. Then a brief, barely perceptible smile graced his lips as his eyes focused in on the trash can near the elevators. He moved towards it, pulled off the top, and pulled out Lisbon's gun. The discovery drew the attention of the other agents swarming the halls around them. "He made her drop it in a trash can?" Van Pelt asked, surprised and curious as to how Jane figured it out. Jane didn't answer, his blue eyes, yet again, meeting the security camera stationed on the ceiling. Suddenly, Van Pelt witnessed a transformation in him as his eyes darkened cruelly, revealing a burning pang of hate. Any sign of grief had quickly been replaced by a searing, unadulterated anger. It was a look he had always reserved for Red John and it chilled her to the bone, rendering her speechless.

"The bastard," Jane muttered under his breath as he quickly turned and headed towards the security room. It took a moment before Van Pelt summoned the will to follow. Jane winded through a crowd of officers as he made his way to the room. Once they reached the guard posted at the door, Van Pelt finally found her voice.

"Jane, what is going on?" She asked nervously. Jane glanced back at her and in one quick moment, he buried his hate and anger behind a calm, casual smile. Van Pelt looked at him with a confused expression, but Jane simply ignored her worry.

"CBI." Jane announced flashing the guard his I.D. as he sidestepped into the security room. The man was about to stop him when Van Pelt showed the guard her own badge and signaled to him that it was okay.

Steven, the security guard, was still sitting in the same chair, facing the wall of video feeds, but now two senior CBI agents were questioning him. He was no longer wearing the baseball cap he had had on earlier, but otherwise looked the same as he had that morning.

"What do you remember about him?" The first man asked. His hair was graying slightly and he had a wise, grandfather-like quality, while his companion had reddish orange hair with an unattainable distance in his faded green eyes.

"I-I couldn't s-see his face." Steven stuttered uncontrollably, his voice breaking as he fought of tears. "I-I'm s-sorry." He added with an undercurrent of grief in his nervous voice. Jane though, being a skilled observer, caught something else in his tone.

He quietly moved towards the man and placed his hand, firmly rather than gently, on his shoulder. He then turned his chair so he was facing him eye to eye. The two agents who had been questioning him shared an annoyed look, but didn't interfere.

"Steven, it's okay, alright?" Jane assured him in his soft tenor. His voice was comforting and sincere and betrayed the tight grip he had on the man's shoulder.

"N-no, i-it-it…" The man stuttered, unable to meet Jane's blue eyes.

"Calm." Jane told him, signaling with his free hand that he should slow his ragged breathing. "No one's mad at you. You did all you could." He explained, but Van Pelt, having seen Jane calm victims in the past, caught a hint of insincerity in his voice, as if he and Steven were having two different conversations at once, one a pretense for the other. At that same moment, she saw Steven wince, as if in pain, before an expression of fear flashed briefly in his eyes that were hidden behind his thin-rimmed glasses. Something was wrong. "Steven, you remember me, right?" Jane continued. "I was in her office this morning." He added. Steven simply nodded, suddenly unable to reply in words. She wondered whether Jane was somehow hypnotizing him because there was something completely off about their interaction. "She could die." Jane stated bluntly. His words sent a shiver up her spine, but Jane hid any visible reaction to the realization and continued speaking unperturbed. There was certain depth and concentration in Jane's gaze that surpassed anything Van Pelt had ever seen before. "Is there anything, anything at all, that you can remember?" He questioned. Steven looked like he was about to answer, but Jane didn't give him the chance and cut him off, his eyes shifting to the two agents. "I need to speak to this man… privately." He told them in a firm, but polite tone. They seemed skeptical and shared a quick questioning glance. They probably would have protested had Van Pelt not spoken on Jane's behalf.

"It's fine." She told them. Van Pelt, being the first at the scene and a member of Lisbon's team, was in charge of this particular case and thus had the authority over the crime scene. "Just wait outside." She explained with a kind smile. They obeyed and left silently. Jane's eyes followed them as they left, making sure they were out of the room before turning back to the guard. Jane then focused a hard gaze on Van Pelt, but she refused to leave and instead took a step closer to the two. He seemed to accept her assertion and turned back to Steven.

"I-I'm s-so sorry. He j-just snuck up behind me." Steven explained anxiously as he fidgeted with his hands. Jane's eyes narrowed and Van Pelt watched as the outpouring of hate resurfaced. She saw his hand tighten and squeeze his shoulder, causing Steven to gasp at the pain.

"Oh, I'm sure you are… you insignificant piece of shit." Jane muttered into his ear and Van Pelt's eyes widened in shock. She felt her heart racing, completely unsure of what she was supposed to do. Lisbon was the one person that could reign in Jane before he did something rash or before he could make a situation worse, but it was obvious to Van Pelt that she was definitely not Lisbon. She was an independent woman who wouldn't hesitate to argue with the consultant, but she was also the junior agent, leaving her with little authority over his actions. She was in uncharted waters and had no idea what to do.

"Jane?" She questioned, simultaneously dismayed and confused by his words. Jane ignored her and appeared to be in his own world where it was only him and Steven.

"You sick bastard, you handed her over." He sneered, forcing Steven to meet his piercing gaze. If looks could kill, Steven would be dead. The flash of fear Van Pelt had seen earlier took over Steven's features as he tried to respond to the accusation.

"I d-don't know-" He stuttered, but Jane cut him off.

"Stop your silly s-st-stuttering." He mocked and Van Pelt couldn't remember Jane ever acting this way. Sure, he'd insulted people plenty of times and usually ending up being punched in the face for it, but this was far more serious and far more personal. A triumphant grin tried to break out across his face, but was restrained, allowing only a weak smile to tip the corners of his lips. "I can see right through your act." He explained cleverly and Van Pelt saw a new emotion pass across Steven's face. It was a mixture of anger and defeat. "Now tell me where she is or I swear-" Jane threatened, but Van Pelt cut him off.

"Jane!" She announced firmly, but she still didn't attempt to pull him away from the man. She couldn't make sense of reality. Steven raised his chin in a pathetic attempt at defiance.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He stated, trying his best not to waver in his firm tone, but failing miserably. Jane curled his lips and noted how his stutter had suddenly disappeared. He was getting to him.

"You were in on it from the beginning. You stole the files and you let him in." Jane accused, confident that he was right. "You faked the hostage situation."

"I did no-" Steven countered, but Jane had had enough, his hot temper getting the best of him. Steven tried to escape Jane's grasp and push him away, but Jane quickly reacted and, being stronger than the scrawny man, he easily shoved him against the opposite wall and pinned him there.

"I'm not going to ask again. Where did they take her?" He stated firmly in a controlled and calm voice with his arm pressing against his collarbone, threatening to move up his neck and suffocate him. Jane isn't usually the violent type and often uses his keen skills of persuasion and observation to get what he wants, but occasionally, he snaps, normally throwing around insults and harsh words, easily striking people where it hurts them most.

"Jane! Let him go!" Van Pelt finally interjected, moving towards him. She was more worried for Jane than the security guard. Even if Steven was proved a traitor, Jane could still be charged with assault. When he didn't respond to her firm tone, she decided to use his first name. "Patrick, let go!"

"He's not a victim." Jane quickly explained, sparing a cursory glance in her direction. He needed her to believe him.

"Patrick, you don't know that!" Van Pelt argued, daring herself to get closer to the fray.

"You're crazy!" Steven spat, unwilling to give in.

"Do you know where she is?" Jane changed his question, needing to read if he was lying or not.

Steven hesitated, as if questioning whether or not to answer, before sincerely replying "no. Now get your hands off me! I have rights!" He added, his voice raising another octave. Van Pelt decided she needed help ending this dispute.

"Can I get some help in here?" She called out, grabbing the attention of the officers outside. A few guards outside the front door entered the room and immediately moved towards Jane.

Jane, seeing them out of the corner of his eye, instantly released the man, letting him fall back against the wall, and placed his hands up in the air to express his innocence and the fact that he was unarmed. He had all he needed from the guard and now he just had to talk his way out of an assault charge.

"He assaulted me!" Steven whined, pointing a finger at Jane, who shrugged nonchalantly, feigning innocence. Van Pelt immediately turned on Steven, anger flashing in her brown eyes.

"I would be quiet if I were you or I'll make him your cellmate." She threatened and Jane was clearly impressed. She then turned to the men who had entered the room. "I can handle it from here." She explained gratefully. A sudden wave of fear shot through Jane's mind.

"Grace," he pleaded softly, his desperate tone quickly grabbing her attention, "don't let him leave." He told her with a depth of sincerity that Van Pelt rarely saw. She hesitated, but gave in, knowing that Jane probably was right even if his actions were questionable. She stopped one of the officers before he could leave.

"Lock Steven in one of the interrogation rooms. We need to ask him some questions." She told him, glancing at Steven to see his eyes widen fearfully. She began to believe Jane that he may have been right. "And _we_ need to talk." She added focusing a hard glare on the consultant. Normally Jane would smile and undermine her authority, but there wasn't even a hint of a smile on his lips as he stared solemnly back at her.

**Please review.  
**


	16. Theories

**There's a summary of the case in here because I know after 15 chapters it's easy to forget how this all started (at least for me it is). **

Chapter 16: Theories

Jane sat at the small circular table in the CBI kitchen. He was absently stirring a cup of tea as he waited for the rest of the team to return. Van Pelt had ordered him to calm down and make himself some tea while she went to inform Minnelli of the hostage situation and the abduction of Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon. Jane had given a statement to one of the officers explaining everything that Lisbon had said while under duress and now there were warrants out for the arrest of Gavin Howell and Rebecca McMillan. The police had been notified to keep an eye out for the red Ford Explorer and Lisbon's description had been released to the public. The news stations had already got wind of the story and were swarming outside the gates and Jane knew that he would need to call Lisbon's family soon to inform them of the kidnapping.

A voice from behind him pulled him from his thoughts. "What were you thinking, Jane?" Van Pelt questioned, suppressing an exasperated sigh. Jane didn't turn around and kept his eyes trained on the barren wall in front of him. After a minute of silence, Jane forced himself to focus on reality and got to his feet, abandoning his almost full cup of tea on the table.

"I was thinking that security at CBI couldn't possibly be that bad." He explained as he headed out of the kitchen towards the main office. Van Pelt caught up with him and trailed along by his side. "Matthew Peters had an inside man." Jane added, confident in his resolve. Van Pelt was skeptical of Jane's theory, but was interrupted before she had a chance to speak.

"It's all my fault!" Cho announced angrily as he paced along the far wall of the office. He and Rigsby had searched the streets up and down for Lisbon, but had returned with nothing. "I was supposed to make sure she didn't leave." He admitted, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown. He suddenly stopped pacing and met Jane's blue eyes. "That was my only job and I failed." He confessed sadly, blaming himself for her abduction.

"Cho, it's not your fault." Jane told him bluntly, his voice calm and sincere. Whatever resentment he had harbored earlier against Cho and Van Pelt had been abandoned.

"That's doesn't work this time. It was _my_ job to watch her." Cho countered, pointing his finger at himself to emphasize his point. Van Pelt glanced at Jane, her own guilt resurfacing.

"And mine." She admitted solemnly. "I'm sorry, Jane." She added, directing the apology to Jane. He looked between the two agents.

"I'm not blaming either of you." He stated firmly, knowing there were more important things to deal with than whose fault it was. "Lisbon left. She knew what she was doing and now it's our job to find her." He explained evenly, his eyes sincere and candid. Rigsby entered the office just as he finished.

"Here's the file you wanted," he told Van Pelt as he handed her a folder with Steven Fischer scrawled on the label.

"Thanks, Wayne." She told him, flashing him a small smile before opening it and scanning its contents. Jane sat down at the table and pulled off his jacket, tossing it onto his chair.

"You can't really believe Steven Fischer would do something like this?" She asked in disbelief as she looked down at Jane. "According to this file he's been working here longer than me and hasn't gotten so much as a speeding ticket." She added, once again questioning his theory.

"Maybe you should go home, I mean between the head injury and the kidnapping…" Rigsby stating tentatively, directing his words to the consultant, but Cho cut him off.

"Without Jane she's as good as dead." He stated bluntly, defending Jane. Lisbon was his mentor and the fact that she had been kidnapped distressed him and threatened to break his composure. Like Jane, he couldn't face the idea of losing her. Van Pelt was quick to interject.

"He assaulted the security guard!" She exclaimed, unsure if Jane was truly stable. Meanwhile, Jane's gaze was fixed on the window, his mind running through everything that had happened. "Jane?" She questioned, fearing she had been too rash.

"You're all missing the big picture." Jane finally pointed out, suddenly pushing out his chair and getting to his feet. "Everything's connected and the brother is the key." He explained before brushing past Van Pelt and disappearing down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Rigsby asked, but Jane didn't answer. A minute later he returned with a movable whiteboard in tow. Rigsby came to Jane's side and helped him situate the board in the center of the office.

"Thanks," Jane replied, pulling out a black marker.

_'Robbery,'_ Jane scrawled on the board. "Jaden Peters, Gavin Howell, Rebecca McMillan, and, more than likely, Mathew Peters robbed a bank in San Diego and then fled to Sacramento." He explained, deciding that it was best to start from the beginning. Cho and Rigsby took a seat at the table while Van Pelt kept standing with her arms crossed across her chest.

Rigsby wished he had some popcorn.

_'Raid,'_ Jane added, creating a timeline, an organized sequence of events. "Then, Jaden Peters got wind that the metro police were closing in and that they were retrieving a warrant to raid Andrew Till's house. He called him early that morning and told him to pack so they could flee the country. Andrew was in the middle of packing when Jaden arrived at the front door early that morning. Andrew locked up his dog and answered the door."

_'Murder' _

"Jaden and Andrew, having moved to the living room, had an argument. Jaden thought that it was unwise for only one person to have the cash, so he argued that they should split it. Andrew, not trusting Jaden, refused, so… Jaden shot him. Then he grabbed the money and ran." He explained confidently, using his hands to emphasize the main points. Van Pelt was about to break in when Jane continued his explications. "Jaden freaked out, having never killed a man and went to his brother's house and parked his car in the garage before it started to rain, which explains why his car was covered in dirt." He remembered every clue and every detail of what had transpired in the past two days and now he was trying to summarize it so his friends could understand his reasoning.

_'Matthew Peters' house' _

"Matthew Peters advised him to go to Gavin's house to establish an alibi. He's smart and must've figured that Andrew's sister would lead them to Gavin's. After all, it was their well-known hang out. So, Jaden goes to Gavin's, they make an alibi and then we show up." He said, a hint of enthusiasm in his tone as the puzzle pieces game together.

_'Gavin Howell's house'_

"As soon as we're gone, his friends convince him to flee the country as planned, but to leave the money with his brother, because, of course, he trusts his brother. They plan a drop because it's too risky to go to his house again because they probably feared that we would be following them, which we were." He explained as if it was obvious and simple.

_'Drop' _

"They organize a drop in a public place so they can blend in and avoid being tracked, but Jaden arrives early because he had nowhere else to go. That turns out to be a bad move and as soon as he notices Van Pelt following him, he naturally runs. We chase him and he dies in the car crash." Cho sat back in his chair, intrigued by Jane's train of thought while Rigsby struggled to keep up with him. Van Pelt was already preparing a counter argument.  
_  
'Jaden Peters dies'_

"That means that Mathew Peters must have seen it happen because he was there for the drop. He saw Lisbon get out of the car and he saw her with his brother's body. Then when she called later to inform him of his brother's death, he was infuriated and planned to get revenge." He explained his motive, positive that Matthew was the mastermind behind everything.

_'Car Bomb,'_ he scribbled as he neared the bottom of the board.

"First, he wanted to scare her, so he set the bomb and then later, him, Gavin, and Rebecca, needing the cash, kidnapped her so they could hold her for ransom." It was simple, but it made perfect sense… or at least to Jane. He wrote the next word down slowly, as if processing the fact that it was true.

_'Kidnapping.'_ He then paused and turned back to his attentive audience. Van Pelt was impressed after seeing a glimpse into Jane's reasoning. Usually Lisbon would just go along with his ideas without forcing him to explain every little aspect, but Van Pelt guessed that Jane wasn't leaving any room for mistakes on this case. This case was personal. Jane understood their motives and why people did certain things. He could read people's reactions and their actions and somehow, he used all his observations to create a story that actually made sense.

"How did you figure this out?" Van Pelt asked curiously. Rigsby was still staring at the board, slowly going through Jane's speech word by word.

"I paid attention." Jane shrugged; the faintest smile could be detected in his features as he looked at his friends. He couldn't ignore the fact that they were one member short and that her absence had immediately thrown off their whole team dynamic. Van Pelt sighed, rubbing her fingers on her temples to fight off a headache. The stress was getting to her and she suddenly felt overwhelmed. Jane focused his gaze on the blue tint of the bruise below her eye that had resulted from Jaden's fist.

"I believe you, but you can't prove any of it." Van Pelt finally admitted.

"I can prove it, but I don't need to. That's not the point." Jane replied quickly.

"Then what is the point?" Rigsby ventured, his eyes revealing pure curiosity. Jane's smile faded and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Matthew Peters got through the guards at the gate easily. As soon as the bomb went off he was out of there. He avoided all the security cameras and got into the building without raising any suspicion. He breaks into the security room where it just so happens that one of the guards is on break and he easily overtakes Steven. He knows exactly how to use the security cameras so he can watch Lisbon's every move. It's way too easy. It doesn't make sense." He expounded. "Now do you really think the security here is that bad?" He furthered, a smile tugging at his lips, but his fear and anger wouldn't let him enjoy the small victory.

"This is a convoluted mess." Rigsby muttered.

"It makes sense." Cho stated, meeting Jane's eyes.

"Steven had our files. Yesterday morning, he brought Lisbon the files… he wanted her to remember who he was and that he worked at CBI. He needed her to recognize his voice, hence the stutter." He elaborated.

"Steven was in on it." Van Pelt admitted after considering his words. "But… what's his motive?" She questioned. Jane shrugged.

"Money." He replied simply.

"You should've let him kill the bastard." Cho announced, his eyes darkening. A brief silence ensued as they were all left to consider the situation.

"Are they going to kill her?" Rigsby finally voiced everyone's fears. His voice was broken and nervous, but he needed to know. Jane's eyes focused on the floor.

"He wants the money more, which means she's alive." He explained honestly, his words sincere. Something suddenly clicked in his mind and he quickly formulated a plan. He knew Matthew's next move. "Rigsby, sign for the money from the evidence locker. Then get some local police, and search Matt's usual spots: his home, friends' homes, any of his hangouts. I want them all searched, especially if they're south of here." He ordered. Jane had always admired Lisbon for her ability to lead the team, but he had never envied the position. He rarely took control and if he did, it normally involved him dismissing a suspect before Cho and Lisbon were finished interrogating. Now with her gone and the team being overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, he felt someone had to give them assignments, just until Cho was ready to take over. "Van Pelt, prepare to track any incoming phone calls on the office lines and any of our cell phones." He directed.

"You think he'll call one of us?" Van Pelt asked, wondering why he would call them instead of the police.

"Probably." Jane answered. "Cho, interrogate Steven and find out anything he knows about Matthew Peters." He added and he caught the hint of a devilish grin on Cho's face.

"Sure, boss-," He replied naturally, freezing when he noticed the misstep. Jane flinched. "Jane." He corrected, glancing up at the consultant. They needed to get Lisbon back. The team then dispersed, except Van Pelt. Jane reached towards his jacket and grabbed it, before heading down the hall and into Lisbon's office. Van Pelt followed.

"Aren't you going with him?" She asked, standing in the doorframe. Jane walked around the desk and searched the drawers for her address book. Lisbon was the type of person who would keep her contacts in a notebook rather than a computer file, which made his life much easier.

"Steven doesn't know where she is." He replied, knowing that Steven was only a weak link that, although he tricked Lisbon into giving herself up, Matthew wouldn't have told him where he was taking her. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't know.

That left him with only one option.

"Then what are you going to do?" Van Pelt inquired. Jane pulled out Lisbon's address book and tucked it under his arm. He moved towards the door and stopped in front of Van Pelt.

"Take a walk." He answered, touching her shoulder. Jane could tell she was holding back a question. He eyed her expectantly, wondering what she wanted to ask.

"Patrick…" She began her voice breaking slightly, having a hard time looking him in the eye. "You don't think…?" She couldn't say it, especially not to him. Jane frowned curiously. "She's a woman." She finally admitted, meeting his gaze with a depth of fear in her eyes that she hoped would convey her question. Jane understood and his eyes drifted away from hers and stared absently as he considered the possibility. It had passed his mind, but he couldn't face that reality.

"Rape… wouldn't fit the profile." He finally replied, finding it hard to talk about. It didn't fit the profile, but he still couldn't fight off his worst fears. He had to hope he was right about Matthew and his motives.

Jane then left Van Pelt at the doorway and slowly headed towards the elevators. He wasn't sure when he'd see Van Pelt again. If he was right about Matthew's next move, he would be on his own for a while.

**In the next chapter we'll see what's happening to Lisbon.**

**I want to personally thank all the people who consistently read and review every chapter I write on every story I write. I would love to just list your names, but I'm too scared that I'll accidentally leave someone out, so you know who you are! Thank you for always taking the time to give your opinion. It means a lot and you keep me writing.  
**


	17. Threats

Chapter 17: Threats

Tuesday, 2:43 PM

Lisbon's fixed Gavin with a cold glare as he tied her hands behind her back and shoved her down onto the chair. "Comfortable?" He sneered.

"Go to hell," she growled, not pleased. Her broken wrist was throbbing and the rope was cutting off her circulation. The pain was threatening to bring tears to her eyes, but she had to remain defiant. Ever since her arrival, she had done everything she could to complicate their plan and had used every chance she had to insult her abductors on their intelligence and wit. Her words had resulted in a few punches to the face, but she wasn't about to break.

Lisbon had been taken to a cabin somewhere out of town. She had lost track of their direction during the car ride and guessed that she was in a forest to the east of Sacramento. She couldn't see outside because Gavin had closed the curtains, but she could hear the distant sounds of songbirds and could see the light shining in through the white fabric and the shadows of branches as they swayed in the wind. The cabin was warm and bright with artificial lighting, and yet it still had a sinister feel to it, probably tracked in with her captors.

She started to laugh just to annoy Gavin, who had been ordered to watch her.

"What?" He yelled, glaring at her.

"And to think I thought you were the leader of the group, but it turns out you're just another pawn in the game!" She laughed with a conceited smile on her lips.

She knew what was coming.

"Shut up, bitch!" He countered, quickly striking her face with his hand. A trail of blood trickled down her cheek as she resumed her glare, intending to stare him down. As soon as she had gotten in the car, her fear had been replaced by courage and mischief. She imagined that Jane would be quite proud of the trouble she was causing her captors. A cold voice drew her attention away from Gavin and towards the doorway.

"Don't hurt our guest," the man stated gruffly, directing the comment at Gavin. Then his bright gray eyes focused all their attention on her. "Agent Teresa Lisbon." He announced, anger dancing in his eyes. She had met this man already during the ordeal, but this was the first time he had addressed her and she was able to see his face.

There was something undeniably familiar about him and she suddenly realized how she knew him.

"You…" She said, at a loss for words. He looked so much like Jaden Peters, especially his gray eyes, that it was obvious to her that they were related. Then there was his voice that she recognized from the phone call.

He was Matthew Peters.

"Do I look familiar?" He asked, cocking his head to the side with a mischievous smile on his lips. "I hear you caused some trouble." He remarked, moving towards her. Lisbon felt vulnerable and defenseless, but buried those feelings under an impassive glare.

"She called some guy named Patrick Jane." Gavin explained, scowling at their prisoner. Matthew glanced at him before turning back to Lisbon, clearly intrigued.

"I would think you'd call 9-1-1." He mused. He held out his hand towards Gavin. "Give me the number." He demanded. Gavin froze, fear flashing in his blue eyes. Matthew glowered at him disapprovingly.

"We smashed the phone." He finally admitted. Lisbon saw Matthew's nose twitch angrily.

"You did _what_?" He yelled, moving aggressively towards the man.

"They could trace us!" Gavin defended. Rebecca stood silently behind Gavin, not wanting to get involved.

"No they can't, idiots." Matthew explained, glancing at Rebecca before grabbing Gavin's collar. "Don't you dare undermine me. _I_ give the orders here." He warned in an even tone. Gavin tensed.

"Yes, boss." He answered obediently and Lisbon felt a strange sensation burn in her mind when she heard the word boss used for such a scumbag. Suddenly, an indignant smile broke out on her face. Matthew caught sight of it and moved so he was facing her directly.

"What the hell you smiling at?" He questioned impatiently. Lisbon looked up at him, making sure he saw the sheer amusement in her eyes.

"They don't seem to like you much." She remarked. Matthew frowned.

"Yeah, but they fear me, so it doesn't really matter, does it?" He countered, suddenly very defensive. Lisbon smiled, her eyes darkening. Matthew was definitely the smartest and toughest in the group, the evil mastermind behind the curtain, but he was easily flustered.

"I'm not scared of you." She stated firmly.

"Oh really?" Matthew chuckled, skeptical of her assertion. He leaned towards her threateningly and Lisbon's instinct was to get as far away from him as possible, but she held her ground and maintained her fierce glare. "Do you want to know who gave you those scratches? Who broke your arm?" Matthew asked her with a sinister grin, clearly proud of the pain he had caused. His smile alarmed her and hinted that he was capable of much more than a bombing and that she was in more danger than she had originally thought. This new sense of fear echoed in her mind and almost made her tremble. She suddenly recalled Jane's observations from last night and began running through his words in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves.

"You weren't trying to kill me. If you were, I'd be dead." She retorted sharply. "You _need_ me alive." She ventured boldly. Matthew smiled slightly at her cleverness and Lisbon couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

"You should know I have a rather mean temper and trust me, once this is over with, you're as good as dead." He explained, but he said it with an air of calmness that reminded her of the profile of a psychopath.

"What do you want?" Lisbon questioned coolly.

"I want revenge!" The man turned on her. "You killed my brother." He pointed, his eyes darkening as they focused all their attention on her.

"I didn't-" Lisbon refuted, but Matthew wouldn't give in.

"I saw you!" He announced and Lisbon paused, wondering how that could be possible.

"He was meeting _you_ there." She realized, staring at him curiously. "But why?" Matthew didn't answer and instead diverted the course of the conversation.

"Patrick is your blond haired friend, correct?" He asked, meeting her dark green eyes. Lisbon just stared at him, unsure of whether she should answer. The man smiled cruelly. "He hit his head pretty hard, I actually thought I had killed him." He commented, showing no remorse, only amusement. Lisbon was speechless. "Don't be surprised." He continued, pacing in front of her. "I know all about you and your team: Kimball Cho, Grace Van Pelt, and Wayne Rigsby." He listed from memory. "Especially Patrick Jane, his file was very forthcoming about him and the murder of his wife and daughter." He finished, anger flashing in his lifeless gray eyes. Lisbon shuddered at the way he said it, hating the fact that he knew so much about them… about Jane. Then her sadness was replaced with shock.

"How'd you get his file?" She suddenly asked, her eyes zeroing in on his wicked grin. Matthew ignored her.

"I want you to give me his number." He demanded, squatting down so they were on the same eye level. He fixed her with an impatient glare. He then reached out and stroked his hand slowly down her arm. Fear flashed in her eyes only briefly before she buried it under another dark glare. She fought the urge to squirm under his touch and stopped herself from kicking him with her feet, not wanting to provoke him.

"I don't know it by heart." She lied; her teeth clenched in an attempt to control her anger.

"Bull." The man responded quickly, dropping his hands to her knees. "You called it while under duress. I'm sure you can remember it." He snarled. "Not to mention, every good agent should know their team's numbers in case of an emergency." He added matter-of-factly. His frown returned and he tightened his grip on her knees, making her wince at the pain. "If you don't give it to me I'll find it out myself, but I promise the latter will be far more painful." He threatened and Lisbon could tell he meant it.

"What do you want with Jane?" She questioned skeptically. He released his grip and moved his hands so they were holding on to both sides of the chair, efficiently trapping her in her seat.

"Nothing really." He replied calmly. "I just need someone who I know will do as I tell them." Lisbon couldn't suppress a laugh, partly because she wanted to show that she wasn't scared of him and partly because the idea of Jane actually following the rules was amusing.

"Then Jane's a pretty lousy choice. Obeying is not one of his strong suits." She commented, the corners of her lips still hinting at a smile. Matthew didn't like when she made fun of him and was tempted to hurt her, but restrained himself.

"If he wants to see you again _alive_, he'll do as I say." He sneered, hoping to wipe that grin off her face.

"You said you were going to kill me," Lisbon asserted, pointing out the contradiction.

"Do you know what I like more than revenge?" Matthew asked with a clever smile. He leaned in closer to her. "Money." He whispered, as if it was a secret. Lisbon could tell this man was deceptive and cunning and was an entirely different class of criminal than Gavin and Rebecca. "We'll see how it turns out, shall we?" He added cruelly, pulling away slightly, his hands still gripping the arms of the chair.

"Why don't you just call the police? They have your money." Lisbon countered. Her suggestion angered him. He got to his feet and stared down at the agent.

"The police are stupid. They always screw it up because they have no passion, no stake in it." He explained, motioning with his hands to emphasize each point. "They'd risk your life by bringing back-up or snipers. They don't listen and they don't understand the weight of a life." He furthered. "I want to keep things simple." Lisbon was getting even more worried… this guy was seriously paranoid about the police and he wanted to use Jane as puppet. She was scared of what would happen to her when he realized Jane wasn't going to obey.

"My team will listen to _me_. They'll do what I tell them to." She tried to persuade him, but Matthew simply laughed in response.

"I abducted a federal agent." He explained. "The FBI will be breathing down their necks and when the FBI gets involved, things get messy." He furthered, narrowing his gaze. "I'm not going to ask again. Give me the number." He demanded; his tone was harsh… but Lisbon still defied him.

"Why Jane?" She asked seriously. The man walked a full circle around her chair and Lisbon tried to follow him with her eyes, but he went out of her view. He then leaned down by her shoulder so he could speak softly into her ear. She could feel his breath on her skin and it made her frown deepen angrily.

She promised herself that once this was over with… she was going to kick his ass.

"I've found, after years of experience, that those that have lost so much will give anything to keep what little they have left." He whispered slowly and methodically into her ear. Lisbon straightened her position in a vain attempt to conceal how much that statement had hurt her. Jane didn't deserve to be dragged into this. He didn't deserve the concussion and the pain. It had been her mistake, not his.

She could feel the blood on her face drying to her skin and the ache in her wrist had lessened slightly. Lisbon knew that she had run down her captor's patience, so she finally relinquished his number, not wanting to suffer any more beatings.

**Thank you so much for the reviews!  
**

**Also, Amelie, in response to your question: the necklace was relevant in my original plot line, but I changed the story (after I realized Lisbon's father was dead) and I went back and made that part in the first chapter less significant. Thanks for noticing though!  
**


	18. Demands

Chapter 18: Demands

Tuesday, 3:12 PM

Jane walked through the empty house in silence, the only sound coming from his brown leather shoes as they collided with the hardwood floors. He never really got used to how lonely his home had become. It used to be lively with his little girl running around with an endless supply of energy and his wife trying her best to catch up with her. The memory tugged at his lips, but Jane couldn't bring himself to smile. He remembered how he had shown Lisbon this room, trusting her to understand this darker side of him. She had changed everything.

The sunlight shining through the windows illuminated bright patches of light on the floors and greatly contrasted with the shadows that seemed to hide the corners of the room. He had the strange feeling that the light would shy away from him as he wandered across the wide-open space.

Jane pulled out his cell phone and Lisbon's address book. He scanned the pages until he found the name.

_David Lisbon_

He slowly dialed the number and put the phone to his ear. He waited and was almost sure it was going to voicemail when a little boy suddenly answered the phone.

"Hello." He answered uncertainly and Jane guessed that the child must be Lisbon's nephew.

"Hi." Jane replied cheerily, masking his sadness. "What's your name?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Cory." He answered happily. "Are you looking for Daddy?" He furthered. Jane smiled.

"Yes. May I speak with him?" He replied. He imagined the boy nodded as Jane was put on hold while the boy called for his dad. Someone picked up the phone and a man's voice came on the line.

"David Lisbon." He answered absently. Jane's smile faded. "Who is this?"

"This is Patrick Jane. I work with Teresa at CBI." He explained, slipping a serious tone into his speech. David apparently read his mind.

"Oh my god." He whispered fearfully. "What happened?" He dared to ask.

"She's been abducted-"

"What? When? I just talked to her this morning." David interjected in disbelief.

"I'm very sorry." Jane told him sincerely, knowing that Teresa and her brother are very close. "I'm going to find her." He assured him. "We know who kidnapped her and the whole town is looking for her. The team's doing everything they can." He finished smoothly. Jane knew that Lisbon hadn't told her family about him. They hadn't been officially together that long and she was very hesitant about telling her family about her love life, probably because they constantly berated her for working too hard instead of dating.

"I-I can't believe this," David muttered in a hushed tone. "I told her to quit this cop business, but she wouldn't listen!" He ranted, panic seeping into his words.

"David, she can take care of herself and you know that." Jane told him candidly in a gentle, compassionate tone. "She always pulls through and I swear she loves this job a lot more than most." He added in her defense. David was silent. "I'll keep you informed, but if you could, call Robert and tell him what's going on." He finished. Lisbon had mentioned her brothers a few times and Jane had quickly recorded their names into his memory, along with just about everything Lisbon says.

"Uh… sure," he said, clearly overwhelmed by the shocking news. "Thank you, Patrick." He added softly. Jane could tell David cared a lot for Teresa. With that Jane hung up and slipped the phone back in his pocket. This wasn't exactly how he'd wanted to meet Lisbon's brother. He sighed and headed towards the staircase.

He walked carefully up the steps and onto the upper landing. Jane paused before entering his bedroom, but didn't dare look at the red smiley on the wall. He couldn't bear to see it grinning at his failure. He thought he could keep Lisbon safe, but it was naïve to think he could protect the headstrong senior agent. Jane pulled off his jacket and carelessly dropped it on the floor as he stepped into the master bathroom. The room, like the rest of the house, used to be adorned with candles, paintings, and vases, but now it was barren, save a toothbrush sitting in a glass on the counter.

Jane pulled at his collar as he faced himself in the mirror. The dressing was still wrapped around his head and it was starting to fray at the edges. He leaned over the sink and pulled at the bandages until they finally came loose. He carefully unwrapped it, wincing at the stinging wound underneath. He dropped the bandages on the counter and turned his head to the side so he could examine his stitches. His blond curls were still stained a faint red around the scar, but it looked like it was already starting to heal.

_I promise nothing's going to happen. No one's going to hurt you._

Jane brushed his hand through his hair to calm his racing thoughts. He knew it was a waste of time blaming himself, but there was little else for his mind to grab onto as he waited for the call.

Lisbon could take care of herself. He knew that she was not one to shrink away from a fight and that she had probably saved his life more times than he could ever thank her for. He'd seen her take down suspects twice her size and seen her shoot suspects with perfect accuracy. She was probably the bravest person he knew and he had always admired her for that.

He shook his head and turned on the sink, wetting his hands. He leaned over the sink and splashed some water on his face and held his hands over his closed eyes as he felt the water drip down his face.

Jane hated waiting and the feeling of dread that came with it. He grabbed a towel and dried his face before turning off the lights and entering his bedroom, the bloody bandages abandoned on the counter. He leaned down and unceremoniously grabbed his jacket, his eyes inadvertently glancing at the red smile.

He paused.

Then he wandered out of the room and down the stairs, pulling out his phone as he walked through the lifeless living room. He moved towards the wall of windows and carefully sat down on the floor, bending his knees as he leaned back against the glass. He set his jacket down beside him and held his phone in front of his eyes.

He was waiting for a call. He guessed that Matthew Peters would call him to organize the ransom… or he would receive a call from Cho telling him that they had been sent a ransom letter… or that they found her body.

Just as his mind started jumping to conclusions, his phone started to ring, the sound echoing around the empty space. Jane stared at it. The number was unlisted. He accepted the call and silently put the phone to his hear, waiting for the caller to speak.

"Mr. Jane." Matthew stated calmly. Jane's expression was impassive.

"I like the Mr. at the beginning. Far more cordial." Jane quipped, making sure he could hear the hate in his voice.

"I'm somewhat surprised. I didn't figure you for a comic." The man responded coolly.

"Oh, I have many redeeming qualities, Matt." Jane remarked cheerily. "Is it okay if I call you Matt?" He added, feigning that this man's opinion actually mattered. He could sense Matt's annoyance through the phone.

"You'll find I'm a very reasonable man, Mr. Jane." He said in a controlled tone.

"Will I now?" Jane teased with the faintest smile on his lips. Matt was silent for a moment.

"You of all people should understand why I'm doing this." He explained evenly and Jane's smile quickly faded, his blue eyes darkening. How dare he…

"Don't pretend this is about revenge." Jane countered sharply. "You're just a greedy bastard after the money you stole." He sneered.

"Your friend, Lisbon, killed my brother. All I'm looking for is justice, same as you." He replied defensively, but Jane could see right through his false motives.

"See. This is where you're wrong." He told him, making his voice as condescending as possible. "Your brother was a criminal fleeing from the law. Lisbon didn't pull the trigger and never intended for any harm to come to him." He explained confidently, his voice carrying an implicit threat.

"He is still my brother!" The man quickly answered, his emotions seeping into his words.

"Was." Jane corrected, jabbing him where it hurt him most. Matthew was silent.

"You can't trace me so you shouldn't even bother trying." He finally deferred. Jane guessed that Matthew was rerouting the call so they couldn't trace him and that the team, back at CBI, was trying to pinpoint his location unsuccessfully.

"Over-confident, are we?" Jane shrugged indifferently. He didn't expect that Van Pelt would be able to trace him, but it was worth a shot. Matthew paused.

"You're not at the office." He observed. Apparently Matthew had been able to trace him though.

"I needed a quiet place to think about all the horrible things I'm going to do to you when I find you." Jane told him casually, a wicked smile dancing in his eyes.

"Am I supposed to be scared of you, Mr. Jane?" Matthew questioned with the hint of a defiant laugh in his voice. Jane smiled.

"Matt, to be honest, I'd be more scared of what Lisbon will do to you." He explained candidly. He imagined the scowl on Matthew's face.

"I'm sure we can be civil about this." He stated calmly.

"Really?" Jane scoffed, annoyed by the nerve of the bastard. The man took a deep breath as if to control his temper. Jane was annoying him and was throwing off his composure.

This pleased the consultant.

"Bring me the money and I'll give you your girlfriend." He continued. "You don't care about the money, so this should be an easy task for you. I want you to keep to yourself and if you involve the police I will hurt her." He explained, his tone serious, but overall, honest. Jane considered his demands only briefly before making some demands of his own.

"I want proof that she's alive. Put her on." He ordered. Matthew was taken back by his tone.

"I don't think you're in any position to demand anything from me." He slighted angrily.

"You called me because you don't want this to get messy. Don't make this any harder than it has to be." Jane declared, easily reading his reasons for calling him and not the local police. Matthew was quiet as if mulling over his words and trying to decide how Jane could know why he called him.

"Behave." He ordered, his voice suddenly distant as the phone changed hands.

"Hi, Patrick." Lisbon's voice drifted over the line and quickly melted all his anger and hate in a flood of relief. He smiled weakly, happy to hear her voice. Her words came across soft and fluid in an air of calm, but Jane caught the faintest trace of fear.

"You okay?" Jane asked, surprised by how nervous his voice sounded.

"Never better. Just hanging here with my four new friends." She replied casually, tipping him off to a fourth member of the group. The reveal was followed by a blur of static, probably from when a hand slapped her face, and then some indecipherable whispers. Jane closed his eyes. He could hear her breathing on the line. "I guess I broke my promise though." She commented in a determined, defiant tone, contradicted by a faint whimper and muffled by a few tears. Jane wanted to tell her to stop giving him clues just so they wouldn't hurt her, but he held his tongue, knowing he didn't have long to talk to her.

"So we're even." He replied casually, pretending everything was okay. He knew she could tell it wasn't. "You'll be okay. I'm going to get you out of this." He furthered calmly, meaning every word he said.

"I'm not sure he's going to let me go." Lisbon told him, her usual authoritative tone reaching his ears.

She really was the bravest person he knew.

"He will." Jane assured her, sporting his usual confident tone.

"He's playing you, Patrick." She told him doubtfully. "You need to tell the team. You need back-up." She added firmly. Jane smiled, missing her giving him orders. She may be his girlfriend, but first and foremost, she was the boss.

"Teresa, trust me." He told her, hoping she could hear the small smile gracing his lips. They were going to get through this. His smile then faded. "How bad did he hurt you?" He added in a quieter tone.

"Could be worse." Lisbon responded, feigning enthusiasm as if to signal to Jane not to worry about her.

"That's the spirit." Jane replied, matching her mock enthusiasm, but unable to fully mask his concern. He then sensed her hesitation before she rushed her next words quickly.

"East cabin in the woo-" She tried to hint at her location, but she was cut off. Thankfully, from what Jane could tell, they had only yelled and hadn't hit her. Matthew resumed the conversation.

"Just get the money and you get her back alive." He stated gruffly before abruptly hanging up.

Jane sat still, frozen in place as he listened to the dial tone.

He had the beginnings of a plan, but first he needed to retrieve the money from CBI without alerting the authorities. Luckily, he had a CBI team eagerly willing to break the rules to back him up.

**Time to save Lisbon!**

**Thanks for the reviews.**


	19. Emotions

**This chapter would not exist without all of the amazing reviews! I didn't originally plan many Rigsby/Van Pelt scenes so they are all a result of the many requests submitted in reviews. I love the pairing, but I'm more of a Jisbon fan, so thank you for kicking me and telling me that Grayne (which sounds strange to me, but is faster to write) needs some attention.  
**

**Sorry for the delay. Life's been crazy. Enjoy!  
**

Chapter 19: Emotions

Tuesday, 4:05 PM

Rigsby finally hung up the phone after listening to yet another tip to Lisbon's location. Ever since the story hit the news, there was an outpouring of tips clogging up the CBI lines, most of which either contradicted each other or were useless in helping find her. Nonetheless, Rigsby had been assigned by Minnelli to listen to all of them, having no other way for the CBI team to assist in finding Lisbon. The case was being handed over to agents from FBI headquarters who had flown in from Washington, D.C., and even they seemed unsure of how to proceed.

Rigsby glanced up at Cho. He was sitting at his desk pouring over the profile of Steven Fischer, yet again, to see if he could find a possible connection between Steven and Matthew beyond simply cash. He was having a hard time believing that Steven would become a traitor at the mere incentive of money, even though it was the most probable conclusion.

"Van Pelt's been gone a really long time. Do you think she's okay?" Rigsby finally asked, his gaze drifting in the direction she had disappeared to. Cho didn't look up from his work, still concentrated on finding his boss.

"No." He replied simply. Rigsby immediately turned back to the agent.

"Really?" He asked, concern mixing into his voice as he leaned forward worriedly. Cho put down the file and gave Rigsby a cold look.

"Rigsby, stop interrupting my concentration and go and comfort her already." He ordered, rather than suggested. Cho was in no mood to humor the love struck agent. Rigsby recoiled only briefing before coming up with a suitable excuse.

"She said she needed time alone." He told him. Cho's dark eyes never drifted from Rigsby's as he stared at him intently.

"She's had a full twenty minutes." Cho stated.

"She's in the women's restroom." Rigsby added, sounding very much like a child. Cho gave him a hard glare and Rigsby finally caved. He scooted back in his chair and got to his feet. He took a deep breath before his mind suddenly encountered another obstacle.

"What do I tell her?" He asked, worry flashing in his brown eyes.

"Do you want me to write you a script?" Cho countered. Rigsby centered his attention on Cho for a moment. Lisbon's abduction was having a profound effect on his friend and he sensed that Cho blamed himself.

Rigsby hesitated.

"We're going to find her, Cho." He addressed the agent. Cho didn't react, but then again, he usually doesn't. "It's not your fault, man." He added honestly. Rigsby thought he saw the faintest hint of a smile on the Asian man's lips, but then attributed it to the dim lighting in the office.

"Tell her something like that and you'll do just fine." Cho replied suddenly. To be honest, Rigsby hadn't even made a dent in Cho's guilt complex, but Cho appreciated him for trying. He considered Rigsby to be a really good man and one who readily deserved Van Pelt. Rigsby nodded with a brief smile before turning and heading towards the restrooms.

* * *

He hesitated in front of the women's restroom, sparing nervous glances in all directions before knocking on the main door. "Van Pelt?" He asked, trying vainly to mask his worry. When he received no response he slid open the door and stepped into the restroom. "Grace?" He ventured uncertainly.

As soon as he entered the room, he could hear muffled sobs and the subsequent gasps for air that came with it. He followed the sounds to the last, largest stall. He slowly tapped on the stall door. "Grace?"

The sobs quieted and after a brief silence the door was unlocked revealing a disheveled Van Pelt. She tried her best to conceal her sadness, but found her emotions somehow managed to break through to the surface. Her hands brushed away the tears in her eyes and attempted to straighten out a few strands of hair that had fallen into her beautiful face. Rigsby could only look at her with a gentle sympathy glistening in his eyes. Van Pelt knew that if she said anything the crying would start again, so she decided to bury her emotions under a mask of anger.

"I couldn't trace the damn call." She stated firmly, her voice very controlled and tense.

On Jane's orders, she had been prepared to trace any incoming calls on any of their phones, so when Matthew Peters had called him she had eagerly set herself to pinpointing the kidnapper's location. To her chagrin, they were sent on a wild goose chase, as it appeared Matthew had someone working with him that was keenly skilled with computers. They hadn't been able to trace him nor were they able to pinpoint Jane's location because Matthew was blocking the signal. Now they were facing the possibility that Jane was in trouble too and they had no way of finding him.

Rigsby eyed the cut on her cheek. He remembered their encounter with Jaden the day before and how scared he had been when he had lost sight of Van Pelt. He felt the urge to reach out and caress her cheek, but restrained himself. Her expectant eyes met his and he found himself struggling for the right words.

"I'm sure Jane's going to come back and fill us in." He told her with a certain hopefulness in his voice. Van Pelt's gaze shifted to the floor. Rigsby desperately wanted her to look at him and see the truth in his eyes, so he carefully reached up his hand so he could touch her chin and lift her gaze. She didn't shy away and made eye contact with Rigsby. "None of this is your fault." He told her softly with honest sincerity. Anger flashed in her eyes and for a moment Rigsby feared she was mad at him.

"I could have stopped him!" She blurted out, having trouble maintaining her composure. Despite herself, a few tears slipped past her defenses. "I should have been more careful and I could've caught Jaden and none of this…" Her voice faded as she abruptly moved her hand and held it over her mouth to keep herself from having an emotional breakdown.

She wasn't sure why she had lost her control, but she hated feeling useless. She felt like everything she had done so far concerning this case was hurting more than helping their investigation. She blamed herself for not catching Jaden and that her being punched was a result of her own careless error. Then she blamed herself for not stopping Lisbon from leaving the main office and for not saying a word to back up Cho. Lastly, she was the most experienced with computers and yet she failed to find Lisbon or Jane.

Rigsby swept his hand along her cheek before tracing it down her neck and past her shoulders, pulling her into a comforting embrace. She made no move to resist, her focus centered on steadying her strangled breathing, her face pressed against his shoulder. Rigsby was silent; her red hair brushed against his cheek and he rubbed his hand along her shoulder with his other hand resting on the small of her back. Van Pelt refused to let her emotions break free as she held on tightly to Rigsby.

"I know what you're going to say. It's stupid to consider all the what ifs." She announced suddenly, feeling the need to justify her reasoning. "But what else can I do?" She asked, her voice breaking slightly as her arms remained encircled around him. "It has to be somebody's fault." She added.

"It is somebody's fault… but not yours." Rigsby replied, confident in his answer. He slipped his fingers through her straight hair and stroked his hand along the back of her neck.

"I've never had something like this happen before." Van Pelt confessed, unable to recall any time where the fate of a good friend of hers was beyond her control. "I'm scared I'm not going to see her again." She explained, never realizing how close she had become to the members of this team. Van Pelt couldn't imagine life without them. "I can't even remember the last thing I said to her." She finished regretfully. Rigsby hoped his touch would ease her grief, but also felt she deserved to hear him comforting her in words.

"We'll find her." Rigsby told her, summoning all the confidence he could because at this point nothing was certain. Van Pelt pulled away and used her sleeve to wipe away any remaining tears. She met Rigsby's gaze and smiled faintly.

"I'm a cop. I shouldn't be crying." She commented, clearly embarrassed. "It's pathetic." She added with a little ironic laugh in her voice. Rigsby gave her a soft smile.

"There's nothing wrong with crying." Rigsby told her with a shrug.

"I don't see you crying." Van Pelt pointed out.

"I'm too scared I'd damage my manly reputation." He joked and was happy when Van Pelt responded with a genuine smile. "Seriously Grace… it'll be okay." He added, patting his hand on her arm.

"Why'd Jane leave?" Van Pelt asked curiously, apparently bothered by not knowing where he was.

"Why does Jane do anything?" Rigsby replied. They were quiet for a few moments before Van Pelt's smile returned. Rigsby looked at her curiously.

"We really should stop meeting like this." She quipped, looking around the bathroom stall. Rigsby smiled.

"I agree. Bathrooms aren't particularly romantic." He responded, moving aside so she could exit the stall. She gracefully moved towards the mirror and briefly checked her face to see if anyone could tell she had been crying. Then when she was satisfied, she led the way to the door, but before they rejoined the world outside, Van Pelt turned back to him.

"Thanks, Rigsby." She told him softly.

"Any time." He replied happily, before following her out of the women's restroom and back towards the main office.

Cho looked up from his desk as the two entered. He made no comment. Van Pelt and Rigsby shared a look before turning back to Cho. He looked tired and mentally exhausted, but they both knew it would be impossible to get him to sleep.

"I'll be right back." Rigsby stated as he left the room and headed for the kitchen. Van Pelt's gaze followed his disappearing figure and hovered long enough for Cho to notice.

"Jane's right. He _really_ loves you." Cho remarked without feeling the need to make eye contact. Van Pelt turned back to him and her cheeks flushed a bright pink.

"Love's a strong word." She replied shyly. Cho gave her a dubious look before resuming his work.

"You're still conflicted." Cho explained knowingly. Van Pelt couldn't summon the strength to argue with him. She sighed.

"We have other things to worry about at the moment." She reasoned and Cho seemed to agree. Rigsby returned, balancing two cups of coffee from the CBI kitchen. He handed one to Van Pelt and then set the other one on Cho's desk.

If he refused to sleep, he could use the caffeine.

"Thank you." Cho told him, a little surprised by the gesture.

Minnelli's voice echoed down the hall and caught all three agent's attention. Rigsby and Van Pelt headed into the hall so they could see who Minnelli was speaking with. The boss was shaking hands with two older men who were wearing nice tailored suits. Apparently the agents from Washington had caught an earlier flight and had arrived faster than expected. Cho stood up, feeling time was infinitely shorter.

"I'm going to talk to Steven again." He announced, his declaration quickly catching his friends' attention.

"Cho." Van Pelt warned. "You've already grilled him twice already. The first time you had him in tears and the second time he thought you were going to kill him." She explained, sharing another look with Rigsby who agreed.

"I swear I never laid a hand on him." Cho defended.

"You were close." Rigsby pointed out. Cho considered this and sat back down. He glanced down the hall and looked over at the two FBI agents.

"Minnelli's going to let them take over." He stated.

"He doesn't have a choice." Rigsby shrugged.

No one knew what to do. They had tried everything, but the chances of anyone stumbling on Lisbon's location were remote. All they could do was wait for a clue.

Van Pelt's phone buzzed suddenly. She pulled it out of her pocket to find she had a text. Rigsby glanced at her curiously.

"I got a text from Jane." She announced with a relieved grin, happy to hear from the consultant.

"What does it say?" Rigsby asked. Van Pelt's face morphed into a puzzled expression. "What?" Rigsby furthered worriedly.


	20. Diversions

**This chapter is massive and is dedicated to all those who have so kindly reviewed. Also, thank you _MyOwnWorstCritic_ for commenting on every single chapter. I was ecstatic when I saw I had 19 new reviews! Actually, I'm ecstatic every time I get a review! I never considered myself a writer before and to hear that people enjoy my stories does wonders for my self-esteem. After all, I'm only 16 and I never really expected any of my stories to get this much attention.**

**Thank you everyone who has stuck with me through this long fic. It has become epic and, to be honest, it was thanks to all your suggestions that this story developed like it did. A lot of chapters were a result of what people wanted to see in the story and this has been altered a lot and improved from the original storyline.**

**Finally, sorry for the long author's note, but I'm extremely happy because I have written out all the dialogue for the rest of this story so updates should be posted quicker and the end is in sight! This will probably be another three or four chapters (don't quote me on that) and there will definitely be Jisbon and Grayne! By the way, I agree, _Jisbon-Fan_, I find the word 'Grayne' weird, but I got tired of writing Rigsby/Van Pelt and the name has seemed to catch on. RigsPelt sounds hilarious too and now I may just interchange between all three. :)**

* * *

Chapter 20: Diversions

Tuesday, 4:35 PM

Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Cho all walked aimlessly around the parking lot before Cho pointed out Jane's blue Citroen at the far side of the CBI complex, most likely parked there so as not to raise suspicion. The consultant was patiently leaning against his car, watching the three agents from afar. All three were glad to see him, but equally annoyed by the secrecy surrounding him. They all headed towards the vehicle and when they reached the sky blue car, Jane opened the doors, coaxing them inside. Van Pelt hesitated before settling herself into the back seat. Rigsby made sure he got to squeeze in the back so he could be close to Van Pelt and Cho sat down in the passenger's seat next to Jane. They closed the doors, but Jane made no move to turn on the vehicle.

Van Pelt pulled out her phone, pulled up the text message, and held it up before Jane's bright blue eyes.

_We're going to commit a felony. You in? Meet at my car._

Jane glanced up at Van Pelt's curious eyes and smiled.

"A felony?" Van Pelt inquired bemusedly.

"It's for a good cause." Jane defended.

"I'm in." Cho announced, not even questioning Jane's reasoning.

"I knew I could count on you." Jane told him cheerily.

"What kind of felony?" Rigsby asked, sharing Van Pelt's skepticism.

"Well, it's more like we're repossessing stolen money." Jane explained with a shrug.

"That makes it all better." Van Pelt commented sarcastically, still confused, but glad to see Jane in a hopeful state of mind.

"Why?" Rigsby asked Jane curiously.

"To get Lisbon back." Jane responded, glancing between the two agents.

"Did you talk to her?" Van Pelt asked eagerly, unable to hide the worry in her voice. Jane simply nodded, sharing a brief look with Cho. "So she's okay?" Van Pelt clarified.

"She will be." Jane replied vaguely and Van Pelt's face fell.

"I couldn't trace the call, Jane. I'm sor-" She began.

"I know. It's okay." He interrupted. "All we have to do is get the money and I'll exchange it for Lisbon." He explained nonchalantly, confident in his plan. Cho immediately caught his eye, apparently not liking how he said '_I'll_ exchange the money' rather than _we'll_.

"You don't actually think he's just going to hand her over." Cho remarked uncertainly, wondering if Jane might be in over his head on this one.

"He will." Jane stated. "I'll handle it."

"Why don't we just talk to the agents in charge? They already know you talked to the kidnappers." Rigsby suggested, but Cho answered for Jane.

"She's our boss." Cho stated simply. "Those agents will play right into his hands and we'll lose Lisbon in the process." He added, willing to do anything to save her.

"What keeps us from playing into his hands?" Van Pelt asked uncertainly.

"I have a plan." Jane explained, a flicker of enthusiasm in his eyes. "She'll be okay." He added. Cho turned towards the consultant.

"What do you need from us?" He asked bluntly. Jane smiled with a mischievous grin before pulling out Lisbon's leather suitcase from under the passenger's seat.

* * *

Tuesday, 5:05 PM

Van Pelt stepped into the CBI office to find one of the FBI agents leaning against her desk with the duffle bag full of money sitting behind him. The agent had pale skin with freckles, dark brown hair, and bluish green eyes that seemed more bored than attentive. Now that she had located her target, she ran over Jane's plan again in her head. Van Pelt hoped this would work.

Speaking of Jane, he casually strolled down the hall straight towards Minnelli's office. He flashed Van Pelt a bright smile before disappearing into the boss' office unannounced. His job seemed a lot harder than hers and she was amazed by his boldness. She turned back to the FBI agent and put on her most charming smile.

Van Pelt gracefully swept towards the agent with all the girly flare she could muster. The man immediately caught her eye and looked her over curiously. She stopped only a foot away from him and eagerly offered her hand.

"Hi. I'm Grace Van Pelt." She told him politely in a cheery tone brimming with pure enthusiasm. "You can call me Grace." She added shyly. The man smiled immediately and there was an obvious transformation as he eagerly warmed up to the friendly CBI agent.

"Jacob McCrum." He greeted, shaking her hand. Van Pelt could tell that this guy was genuinely friendly; however, she knew Jane would describe him as easily manipulated and a sucker for her girlish charm. "Jacob." He furthered, a hint of nervousness as he eyed the pretty redhead standing in front of him. Van Pelt hated how he looked at her, but knew it was intentional. She maintained her schoolgirl attitude and actually let a flirty smile grace her lips.

"Is he your boss?" She asked, pointing towards Minnelli's office and the other agent within. Jane was standing at the window of the office. He met Van Pelt's eyes before inconspicuously closing the blinds, blocking all vision into the room.

"No. Why?" The man replied defensively, his eyebrows furrowing. Van Pelt turned back to the man.

"No reason." Van Pelt shrugged. "Agent Lisbon's my boss." She added solemnly. Jacob's blue eyes revealed sympathy.

"I'm very sorry."

"You'll get her back safely, correct?" Van Pelt asked quickly, taking the chance to ease a little closer to the agent. Jane's plan better work.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied with a grin. "We'll do everything we can." He furthered, his eyes drifting from her eyes to her lips.

"I believe you." Van Pelt told him feverishly, keeping eye contact. "You seem like an honest man." She flashed him a coy grin. "Honest men are hard to find." She added seductively and she wanted to kick Jane for making her say it. She was degrading herself so they could find Lisbon, she told herself.

That was his cue, Rigsby thought to himself as he hid in the hall, listening carefully to Van Pelt's words. She was doing a great job and was setting up a very convincing act. She'd have that man wrapped around her finger easy.

Rigsby suddenly turned the corner and entered the office to find Van Pelt and Jacob McCrum at a very close proximity.

"Grace, what the hell are you doing?" He demanded, purposefully mixing anger into his firm tone. His voice sounded strange to his own ears and apparently to Van Pelt's too because she jumped when he said it, her back facing him.

"Nothing, Wayne." She replied guiltily, stepping away from Jacob. Rigsby tried to ignore the effect her using his first name had on him. "Just talking." She explained with a smile. She was a tough act to follow, especially for Rigsby who had very little experience with deception.

"Why do you look so guilty?" He asked suspiciously, eyeing the two agents through narrowed eyes. He hoped he displayed the intended amount of meanness attributed to a jealous lover.

"Guilty? I swear I was just talking, honey." Van Pelt replied innocently, still hovering next to Jacob's shoulder. Jacob just stared, dumbfounded by the scene unfolding around him. So much so that he didn't notice Cho silently entering the office from the opposite end of the room.

"She's telling the truth." Jacob defended, backing up the redheaded woman. Rigsby eyed him dangerously with an air of disbelief.

"You were flirting with him, weren't you?" He addressed Van Pelt who defied his glare. "You cheating whore." He sneered; hating how he had to be mean to the woman he loved. Rigbsy caught a faint hint of a smile on her lips as her composure slipped briefly before it was replaced with an angry scowl.

"Wow, man." Jacob intervened stepping in between the quarrelling lovers. "No need for violence here. We were just talking. Honest to God." He explained carefully, holding up his hands to express his innocence. Rigsby deepened his frown and had to use all his will to keep from bursting out into a fit of laughter.

"Wayne, why do you have to be so paranoid?" Van Pelt snapped. "Can't I just talk to an _attractive_ man without you causing a riot?" She argued and Rigsby immediately noticed where Van Pelt wanted him to go with that statement.

"Attractive?" Rigsby remarked in disbelief. "This piece of trash?" He commented, looking over the FBI agent.

"Well, he's a hell of a lot better looking than you." Van Pelt snarled, forcing herself not to smile as she said it.

"You little bitch!" Rigsby countered, taking a threatening step forward.

"Break it up!" Jacob yelled, holding his stance in between the two. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He directed the question at Rigsby. "I'm going to get your badge taken away." He growled and Van Pelt started to laugh giddily.

"Aw, thank you Jacob." She commented, brushing her hand along his arm. She winked at Rigsby.

"Stay away from my girl!" Rigsby argued, keeping his voice quiet enough so as not to get everyone's attention, but loud enough to express his unfathomable anger. It had the desired effect because Jacob shied away slightly and in turn Van Pelt prodded him.

"You're just going to let him take me?" She remarked, feigning surprise. Rigsby made another threatening step forward and Van Pelt turned her angry eyes towards him, slipped her foot out of her high-heeled shoe, and threw the shoe in Rigsby's direction, thus initiating an outright fight.

Meanwhile, Cho couldn't hold back a snicker as he easily placed the wads of cash into Lisbon's suitcase and replaced the empty space with random items on the desk such as a stapler, some files, a computer speaker, etc.-anything he could find so they wouldn't notice the change in weight and he could buy Jane and him some time. As he noticed the fight getting more heated, Cho took the money and slipped out of the room, completely unnoticed by the guard who was too busy mediating a fight between Rigsby and Van Pelt.

* * *

Tuesday, 5:05 PM

Jane entered Minnelli's office, abruptly interrupting the conversation between the boss and the FBI agent from Washington. Minnelli immediately rose to his feet, obviously surprised by Jane's sudden appearance.

"Jane! Where have you been?" He asked in alarm, eyeing him suspiciously. The agent also turned towards him. This man was older than the young agent in the hall and his eyes were a dark shade of brown that matched his hair color perfectly. His skin was a light tone, not too pale or too tan, and there was something uninviting about his penetrating gaze. Nonetheless, Jane flashed him a cheery, lingering grin.

"Following some leads." He replied to Minnelli's question, his eyes focused intently on the FBI agent.

"You got a call from the kidnappers, correct?" Minnelli questioned, concern mixing into his voice. Jane ignored him and continued to inspect the new agent in charge.

"Agent Clint Rogers." He pointed out, already knowing the man's name. "I'm Patrick Jane, psychic detective." Jane greeted, offering his hand. The man glanced down at his hand suspiciously before reluctantly shaking it. He removed his hand quickly as if Jane was contagious.

"Psychic?" The man questioned, trying to understand if Jane was joking. Agent Rogers gave Minnelli a withering look. "Your boss said that you were a consultant." He added, turning back to Jane.

"Same difference." Jane shrugged indifferently. Rogers looked him over strangely before turning back to Minnelli for an explanation. Jane's boss stared at the "psychic detective," immediately questioning his motives… and his sanity.

"He's not a psychic. I promise you." Minnelli tried to defend his reputation, but Jane refused to confess to his lie.

"No need to try and impress the newcomer." Jane easily dismissed his boss and Minnelli stared at him in disbelief with anger in his eyes.

"Jane." He warned, but was interrupted by the FBI agent.

"A psychic, huh…" Rogers smiled, clearly amused at the prospect of a psychic detective.

"Are you going to dwell on that fact all day or ask me about the ransom?" Jane countered impatiently. He wandered towards the windows and looked out into the main office. He caught Van Pelt's gaze as she charmed the agent guarding the money. Jane then closed the blinds so that Minnelli and Rogers would remain oblivious to the drama outside.

"There's a ransom?" Minnelli asked, anger quickly melting into concern for Lisbon. She was his best agent. Not to mention, she was a genuinely good-hearted person and Minnelli hated to imagine anything bad happening to her.

"Yes." Jane replied simply.

"Why did the kidnapper call you?" Rogers scoffed, apparently having no respect for the psychic.

"The abductor's name is Matthew Peters." Jane corrected him brusquely. "You may want to write that down." He added, looking around as if searching for a pen and paper.

"Did your psychic powers tell you that?" Rogers jeered with a visible and unconstrained sneer.

"Are you going to keep mocking me or are you going to keep pretending you know what you're doing?" Jane insulted, staring the man down. Picking a fight was one of Jane's many talents. The man's smile fell and was replaced by an angry frown.

"This insubordination is uncalled for. I'm your superior officer and I demand respect… or else you'll be in the unemployment line." He threatened, already setting his mind to having Jane fired. The consultant shrugged.

"Superior officer?" He questioned, undermining Roger's entitlement. "Whatever you say…" he remarked skeptically, "and my real boss just threatens to shoot me." He added flippantly with another amused grin. The agent's frown deepened.

"This is a waste of my time…" He brushed off the blond-haired man and turned back to Minnelli, who simply stared at Jane bemusedly. His boss knew immediately that Jane was up to something, but he couldn't figure out what. Jane wasn't finished yet. He stepped forward and got close to Rogers, easily drawing his attention towards him.

"You need to learn patience." He explained in a patronizing tone before shifting into a calm, serious voice. "The exchange is at the café on Williams Blvd. and Midway Rd." He informed Rogers, who seemed to believe every word he said. "They give us her location and we leave them the money." Jane furthered, glancing at Minnelli to see if he was going to call Jane on his obvious lie.

"He said this?" Rogers clarified eagerly, happy for a break in the case.

"I have to make the drop though or else they'll kill her." Jane added in a serious, concerned tone. Rogers ignored his conditions.

"I highly doubt that." He dismissed. "You've helped us enough. We'll handle it from here." He patronized Jane, obviously deeming him unimportant now that he had the information he needed. Agent Rogers stepped around the psychic and headed towards the door. Jane frowned angrily.

"They're going to kill her!" He announced, mad that the arrogant man was going to ignore the kidnapper's demands. Rogers turned around briefly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Psychic. Just go home and look into your crystal ball and then you'll see that everything will be just fine." He said in the most condescending tone possible before stepping into the hall. Jane's anger melted into a smug grin as his plan worked perfectly. He turned back to Minnelli, who was still standing, his eyes demanding an explanation.

"I think he mixed up psychics with fortunetellers." Jane commented in response to Rogers' lame remark.

"And you, Jane, are neither." Minnelli reminded him evenly.

"True." Jane shrugged. Minnelli looked over at the closed blinds and then back at Jane.

"It's a diversion, isn't it?" He asked knowingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jane exaggerated his lie as he smiled at his boss. Minnelli sighed, expecting this kind of thing from Jane. Despite him provoking the wrath of an experienced and influential agent of the FBI, Minnelli was rooting for him and shared Jane's dislike for Agent Clint Rogers.

"My hands are tied on this. If you get caught-" Minnelli explained, but Jane interrupted understandingly.

"I know, Virgil." He replied simply, giving him a reassuring grin. Minnelli smiled sadly.

"Bring her back safely." He finished. Jane nodded and before he could reply a loud voice erupted from the main office.

"What's going on out here?" Rogers yelled. Minnelli quickly rose from his desk, sparing a knowing glance in Jane's direction before exiting his office. He heard Jane follow behind him as he passed through the hall and into the main office. Just as he entered, he narrowly missed being hit in the head by a high-heeled shoe, apparently Van Pelt's second as she was now barefoot. Minnelli ducked reflexively before setting his gaze on the perpetrators. Both agents froze with Jacob McCrum squeezed in between them with shock written in his features.

"Agent Rigsby. Van Pelt." Minnelli reprimanded, knowing very well that this had to be a part of Jane's master plan.

"These people are nuts!" Jacob announced, shoving away from the two CBI agents. Agent Rogers looked back at Minnelli with a cold gaze.

"What kind of operation you running here, Minnelli?" He asked with a disapproving glare. He turned back to Rigsby and Van Pelt. "I have a mind to throw you both in jail." He threatened and Minnelli saw fear flash in both his agent's eyes.

"That won't be necessary." Minnelli defended, glancing at the agents. "Both of you in my office. Now." He ordered, trying to sound harsh when he knew he was really letting them get away with disorderly conduct. Rogers challenged Minnelli's authority with another hard glare.

"You better get your people in line." He rebuked, but Minnelli wasn't intimidated and dropped his polite pretense as he chose his side.

"You just get my best agent back." He countered, stepping aside so Rigsby and Van Pelt could slip into his office. When Minnelli turned back, he realized that Jane was nowhere to be seen.

Agent Rogers quickly explained the situation to Agent McCrum before they grabbed the green duffle bag, meant to contain the money, and headed towards the exit, already pulling out their phones so they could call SWAT and organize surveillance for the exchange.

* * *

Tuesday, 5:20 PM

Jane walked briskly out of the CBI building, well aware that the agents may soon notice the sudden disappearance of the money. He moved hurriedly to the edge of the sidewalk where Cho pulled up in Jane's blue Citroen. Jane opened the door and sat down in the passenger's seat before Cho quickly pulled forward and towards the main gate. They cleared the gate and headed south, trying to put some distance between themselves and the CBI complex.

Jane looked down at the briefcase at his feet. He opened it, his eyes scanning over the large sum of cash, before closing the case. Cho smiled faintly, feeling rather accomplished.

"That agent looked pissed. I'd be surprised if Rigsby and Van Pelt get to keep their jobs after this one." Cho remarked, his dark eyes trained on the road.

"Minnelli will take care of it." Jane replied absently, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the seat.

"He's on our side?" Cho asked.

"He's on Lisbon's side." Jane explained, keeping his eyes closed, his mind running over his plan over and over again. There was too much to lose if the exchange didn't go well.

"They'll know we took the money." Cho announced.

"Once we get Lisbon back it won't matter." Jane replied. "The end justifies the means." He added. His only concern was finding Lisbon. Jane opened his blue eyes and glanced over at Cho. "Do you want to back out _now_?" He asked, knowing his reply.

"No." Cho answered. "She'd do the same thing for me." He furthered. Jane smiled and closed his eyes again.

"She would." He commented absently. The car was silent for a moment as the fear of being caught receded.

"How's your head?" Cho asked, genuinely curious and sparing him a fleeting glance.

"To be honest, I forgot." Jane laughed a little at the irony. "It all seems so far away, but it was just last night." He added. Cho nodded and the silence resumed for a few minutes.

"You're good for her." Cho announced suddenly. Jane opened his eyes again and looked at Cho as if gauging his reaction. "She's been a lot nicer ever since you two started dating which means a lot less suffering for me." Cho added. Jane smiled.

"It all comes back to you, doesn't it?" Jane remarked. Cho smiled slightly, before his face grew more serious.

"I'm coming with you." He affirmed forcefully.

"No you're not." Jane replied nonchalantly as if he knew he would win the argument. Cho frowned.

"Lisbon wouldn't want you going in alone and unarmed." He explained knowingly.

"I'm armed." Jane reasoned with a shrug. Cho glanced at him skeptically before turning back to the road.

"With what?" Cho questioned. "Your winning personality?" He joked. Jane smiled and reached his hand into his pocket. He then pulled out a box of matches. "The last time you played with matches you burned down a barn and were nearly killed in the process." Cho commented. Jane rolled his eyes at Cho's exaggeration.

"I didn't set the barn on fire and if you two had been there like you were supposed to be my plan would have worked flawlessly." He defended.

"See. You need back-up." Cho pointed out, using his argument against him while keeping his eyes on the road. "Don't try and be the lone hero saving the damsel in distress." He remarked honestly. "It's far too cliché and you'll start a forest fire." He added bluntly. Jane laughed a little.

"Lisbon's not really a damsel in distress and I'm not much of a hero." He replied, leaning his head against the window, his finger tracing invisible shapes on the glass. "Although, I do have my moments." He added cheerily. Cho gave up on trying to convince the stubborn consultant and simply decided that no matter what he wasn't going to leave Jane to rescue Lisbon all on his own.

"Where are we going?" Cho asked, wanting directions.

"East." Jane answered. Cho looked at him with an expression that seemed to say 'could you be any more specific?' Jane's grin widened. "Matthew wouldn't risk going far from his hideout, considering the warrant out on his car and the widespread news attention. He'll definitely avoid the inner city after what happened with Jaden." Jane explained matter-of-factly.

"Why east?" Cho furthered.

"Lisbon said they were in a cabin in the woods east of Sacramento." Jane replied, a hint of sadness in his tone as his mind jumped back to the image of Lisbon as a hostage.

"We'll never find them in that forest." Cho told him, matching his solemn note.

"We don't have to. We just wait for the call." Jane responded.

"What do you want me to do?" He questioned, having full faith in Jane's plan. After all, it was the only plan they had.

"You make sure the bastard doesn't get away with this." Jane answered simply, lifting his head and meeting Cho's eyes. "Back me up." He added. Just then Jane's phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it to his ear.

"Hey Matt. I was wondering when you'd call me back." Jane answered casually. There was a pause before Matthew's voice rose above the static.

"Do you have the money yet, Mr. Jane?" He asked impatiently.

"Yes." Jane answered simply.

"Drive on Ellis Way until you reach Davenport Road. There's a dirt path off to the right. Follow it for four miles and then wait for us to find you there." Matthew explained quickly, his voice sounding tense and strained.

"You bring Lisbon or the deal's off." Jane demanded evenly.

"You bring the cash. All of it." Matthew sneered. "No cops. If you double-cross us, she's dead." He stated firmly.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Jane commented lightly, making sure Matthew couldn't hear a single note of doubt in his voice.

"Good." Matthew replied. "Don't screw this up." He ordered before abruptly hanging up. Jane pulled the phone away from his ear and smiled. Matthew seemed to be getting a little nervous.

"At least he's a polite bastard." Cho remarked, having heard Matthew's voice resonating from the phone. Jane smiled confidently.

"You're secretly an optimist." Jane commented with a grin.

"And you're secretly a pessimist." Cho riposted.

"Ah, ying and yang." Jane shrugged with new sense of confidence. They were going to get Lisbon back. They had to.  
**  
I love reviews! Jane and Matthew meet face to face in the next chapter. :)**


	21. Flames

**Thank you _Elliesmeow_ for catching yet another spelling error. Actually I blame Microsoft Word for not recognizing the word "consumate." **

**I thought I should mention that all my stories are un-betaed so all mistakes are mine.**

**Happy Easter!  
**

Chapter 21: Flames

Tuesday, 6:00 PM

After a lengthy, persuasive, and in-depth explanation from Jane on his intentions, Cho had finally agreed to be dropped off. Jane knew Cho wasn't far behind him and was probably already calling for reinforcements as Jane drove away. To be honest, Jane hadn't wanted to go into this alone, but he didn't want to risk Lisbon's safety by bringing someone along.

Jane was driving his car now, heading down the narrow dirt path leading into the remote regions of the woods. His blue Citroen wasn't really inconspicuous as he moved slowly through the green foliage surrounding the road. His eyes scanned the path ahead of him, a nervous tingling in the pit of his stomach. He was no less confident, but he couldn't help but worry. No plan was full proof.

Suddenly Jane hit his brakes as a man and a woman stepped out in front of his car with guns drawn. Jane smiled. _Show time._

Jane recognized Gavin's red hair streaked with gray and his deep, confident blue eyes as he pointed his gun at the car. Rebecca was at his side, her light brown hair, with a strand of purple, fell in front of her amber eyes and cast a thin shadow across her face. She seemed nervous and worried and the angle at which she held her weapon expressed uncertainty. Jane doubted she would shoot him, so his eyes focused on Gavin.

"Get out of the car." Gavin ordered in a calm, but firm tone. Jane smiled at the man and turned off the car, keeping the key in. He then opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, using the car door as a shield. "Drop your weapons." Gavin furthered, eyeing Jane suspiciously. Jane held up his empty hands to show his innocence.

"No weapons." He explained with another confident grin. Gavin took a step forward, gun still pointed at Jane, and the consultant shifted closer to the car. "But don't get any closer or I'll run you over." He threatened, hoping Gavin would listen and not try to shoot the unarmed man. After all, he still wasn't sure Jane had even brought the money. Gavin paused and took a step back.

"Are you alone?" He asked, his eyes scanning the forest around them.

"Do I look like I'm alone?" Jane asked, exploiting the man's paranoia by not giving a direct answer. Gavin frowned.

"Do you have the money?" He questioned, an air of frustration in his voice.

"It'd be pretty silly of me to come without it." Jane shrugged, smiling incessantly. His smile fell. "Where's Lisbon?" He asked in a firm tone.

"Boss wanted us to make sure you were alone." Gavin explained, a hint of spite in his voice when he said 'boss.' Jane knew it wasn't good that Gavin harbored negative feelings towards his boss because that would make him more likely to disobey him and take the money for himself, killing Jane in the process. The consultant unconsciously tightened his grip on the car door. "They'll come." Gavin furthered, lowering his weapon. The tension declined slightly as they waited for Matthew and Lisbon.

* * *

Tuesday, 6:00 PM

"So you two have no idea what's going on and you went along with it anyways?" Minnelli asked incredulously as he looked down at the two agents. They had been over this several times now, but apparently Minnelli had little else to focus on. Both Rigsby and Van Pelt could tell the man was worried about his agents and that he was frustrated with being useless.

Rigsby and Van Pelt were sitting in the two chairs placed in front of the boss' desk. Rigsby had adapted Jane's carefree personality as he leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed. He had stopped fearing for his job hours ago and was now just waiting for any news on Lisbon. Van Pelt, however, was sitting upright, a permanent mask of worry on her face.

"It's no different than you. _You_ let him leave." Rigsby replied, feeling he had used this argument before.

"What about Cho?" Minnelli questioned hopefully.

"As far as we know Cho's with Jane." Van Pelt answered solemnly.

"Comforting." Minnelli muttered. "You don't actually think he'd go in there without back-up, do you?" He asked uncertainly. Van Pelt and Rigsby shared a look. "Of course he would." Minnelli remarked, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

"We need to have faith in him." Van Pelt commented. Before Minnelli could respond his phone started ringing.

It was Cho.

* * *

Tuesday, 6:22 PM

Jane had eventually closed the door to his car and was now leaning against the hood. He was now more nervous than ever, his hands fidgeting. He no longer feared for his own life. Instead, his mind was now torturing him with all the possible reasons for Matthew's delay. The scenario that bothered him the most and made him close his eyes was the image of Matthew burying Lisbon in the dirt after killing her. If that was true, Jane knew he'd be next. If that was true, he wasn't sure he'd try to save himself. Jane shook his head, knowing he was nearing a breakdown if he didn't see Lisbon soon.

Gavin paced impatiently while Rebecca was sitting on a fallen tree near the road.

The woman's amber eyes were focused on Jane, whose eyes were closed and whose fingers unconsciously toyed with his wedding ring. She tilted her head curiously and after a few minutes of internal debate, she finally decided to ask.

"You're married to this girl?" Rebecca asked, hiding her sheer curiosity under a shield of animosity. Jane opened his blue eyes and fixed her with a curious look. He was clearly caught off guard by the question and it took him a moment to realize he was absently twisting his ring around his finger. He glanced down at the ring before meeting Rebecca's eyes.

"No." He answered simply. Gavin frowned at the conversation, but kept pacing.

"You're wearing a wedding band." She pointed out, citing his contradiction with a frown. Jane returned his gaze to the ring.

"It's complicated." He explained. As much as he didn't want to talk about Lisbon with her kidnapper, he couldn't help but indulge in the distraction. It was far better than imagining Lisbon's possible murder. He involuntarily shuddered as her limp body flashed before his eyes.

The wedding ring was a subject Lisbon had never brought up. Jane had caught Lisbon looking at the ring on occasion, but she never said a word and Jane had always been thankful for that. He wasn't sure what he would say if she ever asked. He knew it was wrong to keep it on now that he was involved with Lisbon and a few times he had almost convinced himself to take it off… yet there it was, perfectly fitted on his finger, a constant reminder that he had a wife.

"Isn't it always." Rebecca muttered solemnly, her gaze casting downward. This comment immediately drew Jane's attention… and Gavin's.

"Stop your chit-chat." Gavin threatened cruelly. Rebecca shot him a glare, but remained silent. Jane knew from the beginning that Rebecca was all talk and that she wasn't a killer, so he began to wonder why she was going along with all this. She obviously didn't enjoy being involved.

"Why are you doing this?" Jane inquired curiously and directly, ignoring Gavin's glare. Rebecca looked worriedly in Gavin's direction.

"Isn't it obvious? I need the cash." She answered in a firm tone that was undermined by the hesitation in her eyes.

"So you let these sexist pigs treat you like crap?" Jane remarked coolly. Gavin spun on his heel and narrowed his ice blue eyes.

"Stop talking." He ordered and silence ensued. Gavin finally stopped pacing. Jane eyed Rebecca expectantly and she finally caved under his penetrating gaze.

"Don't judge me." She told him, her voice breaking slightly as shame briefly swept across her face. Jane tilted his head so he could observe her better.

"You feel sorry for me." Jane observed confidently. Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would I feel sorry for a cop? Jaden's dead because of you." She countered viciously, yet Jane noted how her grief wasn't for Jaden at all. The way she said his name was more spiteful than anything else. Despite this, Jane could tell she did feel grief for someone.

"You didn't really mean what you just said." Jane explained evenly, easily reading her body language and the expression in her eyes. "You didn't like what Jaden did to Andrew." He furthered, explaining the spite. Jane knew he was nearing the truth because as soon as he finished Gavin moved towards him with fury glistening in his eyes.

"Be quiet." He snapped, but Jane's curiosity overcame his better judgment.

"You loved Andrew, didn't you?" Jane furthered. He watched Rebecca's eyes as she tried to hide her sadness. Jane immediately knew he was right. Rebecca was ashamed because she was defending her lover's killer. When she lost Andrew she stayed loyal to the group, having no one else to turn to.

"For the last time, keep your mouth shut." Gavin yelled and Jane's focus quickly shifted to the tall man towering over him. Jane had always considered himself of average height, not too tall, but not too short; however, now he felt vulnerable and small in comparison to Gavin. Jane's inquiries had distracted him from the real threat and now the man had closed the space between them and had disabled his primary line of defense. Gavin's next words made Jane's blood turn to ice in his veins. "Let's just shoot him and take the money." He announced, pulling his weapon. Jane froze, knowing he had no chance of running away without being shot. His skin paled and his eyes were brimming with fear as he glanced down at the gun hovering at Gavin's side.

"Boss told us to wait." Rebecca interjected in Jane's defense, taking a step towards the two men. Despite her involvement, she was clinging to the hopeful idea that the exchange would go smoothly and that no blood would be shed.

"Why?" Gavin scoffed, raising the barrel of the gun and pressing it against Jane's chest. The consultant found he couldn't speak, able to feel the cold metal of the gun through his shirt. His heart was pounding and he found it hard to breathe knowing that any breath could be his last. "He's unarmed. Let's take the money and run. We can split it 50/50." Gavin reasoned as his cold eyes focused on Jane.

"Cutting deals, Gavin?" Matthew interrupted from behind. Gavin froze and turned to face his boss. Matthew frowned angrily, but Jane's focus was elsewhere, mainly centered on the terrified woman beside him. Relief overwhelmed him as he looked Lisbon over, head to toe. Her face was scratched and bruised, her lip was split, and blood accumulated around her wrist as her hands were tied together with rope. To see her alive had such a profound effect on the blond-haired man that he couldn't process what happened around him as Gavin returned his gun to his holster and stepped away from Jane. The consultant paused as he focused on her eyes. Pure horror shown in them as she feared he was going to be killed right in front of her. It absolutely terrified her that Jane was alone. After his mind finally caught up with him, he stumbled backwards, putting some space between him and the kidnappers.

Matthew grinned as Jane briefly lost his composure and held a gun to Lisbon's side. Jane cursed himself for screwing up so early in the game. He had effectively proved he was unarmed and he had let the kidnappers get too close to him. Had Matthew not arrived, he would have surely been dead.

"Mr. Jane." Mathew addressed him with a sinister, confident grin. Jane straightened himself, his eyes never leaving Lisbon's. He flashed her a brief smile meant to tell her everything was okay. Lisbon was reluctant to believe him. "Here's your girlfriend. Show us the money." Matthew announced in a straightforward manner. Jane paused, glancing between Lisbon and Matthew before edging towards his car and pulling out the briefcase. He pulled out a wad of cash and held it up to prove to the kidnapper that the bag was full of money. Matthew grinned victoriously, knowing there was nothing between him and his well-deserved cash. Then he paused, finding it all too easy. He turned to Gavin.

"Did you check the car?" He asked forcefully, daring him to say no. Gavin frowned.

"Why would I check the car?" Gavin countered. Mathew scowled at him.

"You idiot! What if he has someone hiding in the car!" Matthew exclaimed. Gavin turned away angrily and responded by pulling his gun and pointing it at Jane.

"Step away from the car." He ordered. Jane smiled slightly, everything starting to work as planned. He took a few steps away as Gavin carefully checked the backseats and the trunk. Meanwhile, Jane dropped the bag at his feet and inconspicuously reached his hand into his pocket while everyone was distracted by Gavin's search of the car. Jane concealed the box of matches in his palm while still holding on to the wad of cash in his other hand. Matthew turned back to him with a devilish grin.

"You shouldn't have come, Mr. Jane." He told him and Lisbon visibly tensed beside him, her green eyes warning Jane to run. He couldn't recall ever seeing her so scared. His light blue eyes pleaded with her to trust him. Her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "It's very stupid of you to come alone and without a weapon." Matthew laughed, not believing Jane's stupidity. It was just too easy. Jane ignored his words, opened his palm, and pulled out a match. "There's nothing keeping me from shooting you both." He added, his deep gray eyes focusing on Jane's hands. He fearfully turned his weapon on the consultant and Lisbon cringed, using all her will not to scream out. She wanted to lunge at Matthew and disarm him, but her hands were tied, she felt critically weak, she was outnumbered, and Jane would be killed before she could stop him. All she could do was stare and pray that Jane had a way out.

"What are you doing?" Matthew demanded and Jane just flashed him a clever smile as he struck the match against the box and it burst into a glowing flame. Lisbon frowned, unsure of what Jane was doing.

"Matt, I've always been curious…" Jane remarked his eyes watching the flame. "What color does money burn?" He asked, holding the match towards the wad of cash in his other hand. Matthew's eyes darkened.

"You wouldn't. That has to be hundreds of thousands of dollars right there!" He exclaimed incredulously, still pointing the gun at the consultant. Gavin and Rebecca just stared as Jane lit the money and it began to smolder, smoke erupting from the glowing pieces of paper. The fire danced in Jane's blue eyes as he looked at Matthew. He tilted his head sideways and quirked his eyebrows, easily proving Matthew wrong as the money slowly burned.

"Boss, he's burning our money!" Gavin announced, demanding Matthew do something. Everything they had worked for was going up in flames.

"Orange. Hm… very predictable." Jane commented as his eyes returned to the burning money.

"Stop!" Matthew directed, but Jane was quick to reply.

"Why?" He laughed with an indifferent shrug. "You were right. I don't care about the money." He explained, truly enjoying the pain he was causing the kidnappers.

"I'll shoot!" Matthew threatened, raising his gun with the intention of shooting the consultant.

"Don't!" Lisbon shrieked, unable to stay quiet. Jane's gaze drifted to Lisbon before locking with Matthew's gray eyes.

"No you won't or I'll drop this flaming wad of cash on the rest." Jane threatened knowingly. Matthew suddenly noticed that Jane was holding the burning money over the rest. If he dropped it, all the money would go up in flames. Matthew froze, intrigued by Jane's plan. He had evened the playing field, using the money as a hostage.

Jane cringed as the fire started to sear his hand, the paper turning to ashes. He quickly pulled another match and struck it before dropping the remnants of the money onto the ground floor. He then stomped out the flames while simultaneously holding the new match over the briefcase. He grinned once he had finished, knowing that that had been one of the more challenging parts of his plan: not to burn himself too badly and not to give the kidnappers a window to shoot him without losing their precious millions. Well, to be honest he had only halfway succeeded, his hand now covered in blood and the pain involuntarily forcing tears into his eyes.

Gavin took a step forward and Jane quickly turned on him. "I wouldn't if I were you." He announced with a victorious grin. "Now… let's try this again, shall we?" Jane commented nonchalantly, directing his smile at Lisbon, who was watching him curiously. He turned back to Matthew. "Drop the weapons." He ordered. Rebecca quickly lowered her gun and set it on the floor while Gavin and Matthew hesitated. "I'm unarmed and alone, remember?" He reminded them.

"He's bluffing." Gavin reasoned uncertainly.

"Am I?" Jane asked skeptically. "You shoot and everything you worked for-killed for-goes up in flames." He explained as the flame flickered in the waning light. The forest was starting to darken as twilight set in. Matthew nodded towards Gavin and they both placed their weapons on the floor, kicking them away.

"Very smart, Mr. Jane." Matthew remarked. Jane noted an air of confidence still lingered in his voice and Lisbon's eyes seemed to confirm his suspicions. Matthew still thought he could succeed and Lisbon knew why. Something Lisbon had said during the ransom call suddenly echoed in his mind.

_"Just hanging here with my **four** new friends."_

They had a fourth man… an ace in the hole.

"Teresa, is that all of them?" Jane asked, referring to the guns. Lisbon nodded. "Let go of her." Jane ordered Matthew with a menacing glare. Matthew released his firm grip on her arm and she immediately pulled away, pausing a foot away from him. She glared at her kidnapper before suddenly charging him and kneeing him in a very sensitive place. The man yelped and hunched over, nearly falling to the ground.

"Asshole!" Lisbon spat angrily, tempted to release another blow. Instead she moved away and quickly grabbed his gun off the ground while kicking the other weapons away from their respective owners. It was a hard feat considering how her hands were roped together and she was finding it hard to walk, her knees threatening to give way. Jane looked deeply concerned as she managed to make it towards him. She stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder, her gun pointed at Matthew. Gavin started moving backwards, edging towards the trees, but Jane saw what he was trying.

"Na-ah, don't even think about it." Jane taunted and Lisbon pointed the gun at Gavin. Realizing that the matches were rendered obsolete by Lisbon's gun, Jane blew out the flame. A brief silence overtook the small roadside clearing. The songs of birds died away along with the rustling of the trees in the wind. All was eerily still.

"Patrick, what do we do now?" Lisbon whispered, now leaning against his shoulder, using him for support. Jane's eyes darted towards his car.

"Cho should be bringing reinforcements any moment." He explained, wondering what was taking Cho so long.

"That's your master plan?" Lisbon asked incredulously and Jane couldn't help but smile as Lisbon took on her usual authoritative tone.

"It's worked so far, hasn't it?" He replied. Lisbon's eyes revealed worry and she tightened her grip on the gun.

"They have a fourth man." She whispered, her eyes scanning the trees for the sniper. Matthew grinned, but said nothing. Jane's hand grasped Lisbon's arm as he edged them closer to the blue Citroen sitting idly on the road. They left the money on the ground.

"I know, but he won't shoot as long as we have the gun on his boss." Jane responded quietly, pulling her with him, but never turning his back on the three kidnappers in the clearing.

"If we run, we're dead." Lisbon told him, glancing at his eyes before returning her gaze to her target. "We can take him hostage and use him as a shield." She said in a slightly louder voice, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she watched Matthew Peters.

"There's no honor among thieves." Jane explained. "When they realize the money means more to them than their boss and that the cops are coming, the guy's going to snap." Jane furthered in a barely perceptible voice. Lisbon had to admit Jane had a valid point. Jane turned and hurriedly pulled her towards the car. Lisbon never let her gun drift away from its target, Matthew.

"Get in the car." He ordered Lisbon, his ears picking up on the sounds of sirens heading in their direction. No doubt the fourth shooter would hear them too. Lisbon eyed him dubiously, questioning whether Jane would follow. "I'll follow, just get in." Jane furthered, waving her to hurry. She put her trust in him and obeyed, dropping the gun as she rushed towards the passenger side and opened the door with her hands still tied together.

"Shoot him!" Matthew yelled into the woods as soon as he was no longer a hostage. Gavin darted towards his weapon. Jane dashed towards his car and quickly jumped into the driver's seat, but before he could start the vehicle, shots rang out, shattering the blue car's windows.

"Teresa, get down!" Jane yelled as he placed his hand on her neck and shoved her downward to hide her from the onslaught of bullets. The sirens got louder, but could barely be heard over the gunfire.

"Reverse! Patrick, put it into reverse!" Lisbon ordered, her voice panicked. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he set the car in reverse and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

The car quickly pulled backwards at full speed and Jane had to use the rearview mirror to narrowly miss hitting several trees lining the dirt road. A bullet from Gavin's gun impacted the windshield and Jane ducked instinctively. Lisbon didn't sit up, absolutely terrified as bullets hit the car. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this scared and she had nothing to reassure her except the hope that Jane and her would both make it out alive.

The car abruptly stopped, the force pushing her back up and against her seat. She could hear sirens wailing around them and the exchange of angry voices. The gunfire had stopped. They hadn't hit anything so her first thought was that Jane had been shot and had released the gas. Fear overwhelmed her again. She opened her eyes, not even remembering when she had closed them, and looked beside her to find Jane gripping the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white until they were almost the same color of his paling face. Blood stained the steering wheel as he pressed his burned palm hard against it. His eyes were wide with shock and from this angle she really couldn't tell if he was injured. Glass shards littered the car and Lisbon could see police officers rushing past the broken windows towards the scene in front of them.

**I've pretty much written the rest of this story. :) Yay!  
**

**Reviews are always appreciated.**


	22. Reunions

**Thanks for all the reviews. Enjoy!**

Chapter 22: Reunions

Tuesday, 7:05 PM

Cho stormed the clearing along with a confounding number of police, CBI, FBI, and SWAT officers. He had led the raid and was the first to lay his hands on the filthy bastard that took her. Cho violently grabbed the man and threw him to the ground, shoving his knee deep into his back as he kneeled on top of him. He pushed Matthew's face into the dirt as he grabbed the man's arms and snapped handcuffs on his hands, making sure to pinch his skin. The man yelped in pain.

"Police brutality!" He screamed. Cho pulled him to his feet before throwing a punch at his abdomen. The man then collapsed again with another yelp.

"Self-defense." Cho responded grabbing the man again and dragging him to his feet.

"Ow! Dammit that hurts!" Matthew whined as Cho's fingers dug into his arms.

"Good." Cho muttered into his ear as he stood behind him. Matthew was considerably taller than Cho, but Cho was no less threatening. "I can't wait to get a confession out of you." He commented angrily, enjoying the pain he was inflicting on Lisbon's kidnapper.

No one messed with his boss and got away with it.

Two CBI agents came towards him, took hold of Matthew, and led him towards one of the police cars, leaving Cho to find his friends. Cho glanced around the clearing to see Gavin being shoved to the ground, Rebecca going willingly with tears spilling from her eyes, and another man being dragged from the woods by two police officers, a sniper rifle in one of their hands. Cho wanted to smile, but didn't, not knowing where Jane and Lisbon were. In the dim light, he noticed Jane's car in the distance, stopped in the center of the road and partially concealed by a crowd of police cars. Cho rushed towards the vehicle, almost running.

* * *

Tuesday, 7:00 PM

Lisbon rested her hand on top of Jane's, willing him to release the wheel. He jumped at her touch, but did lessen his hold slightly. She rubbed her thumb along the top of his hand. "Patrick, it's okay." She told him softly. Jane slowly tore his gaze from the road ahead of him and faintly smiled at Lisbon.

Jane couldn't believe that Lisbon was alive and with him. Sure, he had told himself that he'd get her back, but now that he had done it, he couldn't believe it. He had almost lost her and at times he had thought he had. Now her sparkling green eyes were watching him worriedly with a comforting smile on her lips. He loved the touch of her hand against his. It served as a reassurance that she really was there with him and it helped him overcome the sudden numbness that had dulled his senses.

"I told you I'd handle it." He told her in a quiet, weak voice that broke when he spoke.

"You did." Lisbon nodded with a smile, so glad to hear him speak. She smiled at him and Jane's light smile brightened a little. "I bet the bank will sue for the money you just burned." She remarked in an attempt to lighten the tension and make the situation more normal for Jane. She looked Jane over again and he seemed relatively unharmed.

"If that's all I get sued for I'm lucky." He replied with the hint of a laugh in his voice. He let go of the wheel and Lisbon removed her hand from his. Jane then cradled his burned hand in his other one, grimacing at the pain. They were both in shock, but Lisbon seemed to be recovering at a faster rate.

"I can't leave you alone, can I?" She asked, acting like her usual self in an attempt to comfort the consultant. Jane's beautiful blue eyes were trained silently on his hands. Lisbon saw his lips curve slightly into an airy smile that seemed so fragile and delicate.

Then, to her surprise, he abruptly opened the car with his left hand (his good hand) and stepped out onto the road. Lisbon frowned curiously, not expecting his reaction as she too opened her door and stepped out into the evening air. Lisbon stood by her door and when she looked up she found Jane had walked around the car and was now standing in front of her, his gaze trained solely on her like she was the only thing he could see in the world. The shock in his eyes was replaced with a genuine tenderness and compassion, a look that Lisbon somehow felt was reserved for her. Jane moved towards her and Lisbon didn't even care to see if anyone was watching as he encircled one arm around her waist and brushed his hand along her cheek. Lisbon's gaze was trained on his eyes as he leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against hers.

"I hope you never do." He whispered softly, his breath caressing her lips as he answered her question. Her heart fluttered with excitement as his hand held the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss.

The kiss was the essence of passion as Jane held Lisbon as close as he possibly could. The kiss assured him that she was real and that she was his. That as long as her lips were against his, she couldn't disappear, drift into nothingness. Her lips were tangible. He could feel her breathe as she was pressed against him and she didn't resist when his tongue beckoned her to let him in.

He tried his best to be gentle, wary of the cut on her lip and stinging scratches on her face. Yet Lisbon returned the kiss, easily matching and surpassing Jane's intensity. Jane smiled against her lips, slipping his uninjured hand through her dark curls while his other hand held tightly to her waist. She smiled, her shock melting away. Lisbon longed to run her fingers through his hair, but her hands were still tethered together with an unbreakable rope, forcing them to remain limp between them.

Jane tightened his grip on her waist as the kiss got more heated, and Lisbon hated to stop it, but pulled away, leaving Jane to stumble slightly with a bemused, dazed expression on his face. She flashed him a light smile, amused by the idea of the observant Patrick Jane not noticing how her hands were still tied together.

"I missed you too, Patrick." She told him with a teasing smile as she leaned in towards him. She brushed her lips against his, but before he could kiss her she pulled back with a mischievous grin. She held up her bound hands. "Can you untie my hands now?" She asked politely and Jane laughed a little.

He started to untie the binding, careful not to put pressure on her swollen wrist. While his eyes were focused on her hands, Lisbon was watching Jane, overwhelmed with joy now that they were both safe. He had just done and risked so much for her… and she knew she really loved him.

As soon as the ropes had fallen to the ground, Lisbon closed the space between her and Jane, and corned him against his car. He fell back against the door as Lisbon wrapped her arms around his neck, a childish grin dancing on her lips as she ran her fingers through his blond curls. Jane smiled and moved both his hands to hold her hips as she leaned into him and gave him a breathtaking kiss. Both Jane and Lisbon didn't want the kissing to end.

"Just a casual heads up, but your boss is coming this way." Cho announced nonchalantly. His voice startled the two lovers and Lisbon broke off the kiss to see Cho standing on the other side of Jane's car with his hands folded on the hood, his chin resting on his arms. An amused grin threatened to break out on his lips, but he remained reserved, hiding the immense joy he felt at seeing Lisbon alive and at watching Jane and her be reunited.

They really did belong together.

Lisbon let her arms fall from Jane's neck to his waist and Jane leaned his head back against the car and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the wrath of Minnelli. He felt Lisbon pull away from him so he opened his eyes and straightened his vest as Minnelli walked towards them. Jane stepped near Lisbon and lightly placed his hand on the small of her back. She didn't push him away, but rather flashed him a warning with her eyes, not wanting them to get caught by her boss.

Minnelli moved towards them with a newfound eagerness in his eyes. He paused, looking suspiciously between the agent and the consultant before speaking.

"Lisbon, are you okay?" He ventured, looking her over worriedly. Lisbon smiled while Jane simply rolled his eyes at the stupid question.

"I'm fine, boss." She assured him. Minnelli sighed.

"I had no idea that when you were on the phone you were under duress and that when I met you in the hallway… I just…" He tried to apologize, but Lisbon wouldn't hear of it.

"It's okay, boss." She told him sincerely, a pleasant little smile on her lips. The adrenaline from her near death experience was wearing off and she was suddenly very tired. Minnelli smiled at the two of them.

"I'm glad you're both alright." He commented, noting that the two had been through a lot in the last two days. "Good job," he directed at all three of them, glancing at Cho, "and, Jane, I'll handle the legal troubles." He finished. Jane tilted his head, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"I thought your hands were tied?" He recited curiously. Minnelli shrugged.

"Whatever you did, it was to save a fellow agent and it worked." He explained, not wanting to sound like he was doing Jane a favor. Jane's smile brightened.

Minnelli froze.

"You're bleeding." He pointed at Lisbon's arm, concern glistening in his eyes. Lisbon examined her blouse and noticed the dark blood stain on her sleeve. She pressed her fingers onto her arm, but realized that she wasn't wounded.

"It's not mine." She admitted, clearly puzzled. She glanced over at Jane, her eyes immediately drawn to the blood seeping through his white shirt. "Patrick, you're wounded." She pointed out, worriedly moving towards him and grasping his arm so she could examine it. Jane frowned confusedly before noticing that Lisbon was right. He held his burned palm over the wound, wincing at the pain. The adrenaline rush had somehow masked the pain, so much so that Jane hadn't even noticed.

"My first time being shot." Jane remarked, amused. Lisbon stared at him, worry clouding her eyes. Jane laughed a little. "Don't freak, it's just a little flesh wound." He commented, lowering his head slightly so he was on the same eye level as the petite woman. Lisbon frowned.

"Just a little flesh wound?" She repeated incredulously, forcefully grabbing his arm and pulling his sleeve. Jane caught her hand and stopped her with a reassuring smile.

"You're both going to the hospital." Minnelli ordered, interrupting the quarrel.

"Not again." Jane whined like a child and Lisbon rolled her eyes at his behavior.

"I'll take them." Cho offered. His position on the other side of the car was unchanged. Minnelli eyed Cho uncertainly.

"Straight to the hospital." He clarified. Cho nodded.

"You know some simple bandages could fix this right up." Jane remarked, receiving a light slap on the arm from Lisbon. Jane smiled faintly. The wound wasn't severe and, to be honest, his burned hand hurt a hell of a lot more than where a bullet had grazed his arm.

"Hospital. Both of you." Minnelli ordered explicitly before turning back to the crime scene with the intention of dismissing the remaining officers. Then he paused and turned back to the two. "Oh and, Jane and Lisbon, congrats." He explained knowingly. "Just don't let me catch you kissing at work." He commented.

Lisbon was dumbfounded by her boss' remark and felt her cheeks flush a deep red. Jane grinned, surprised that Minnelli had it in him. Jane then turned towards Lisbon and leaned in near her ear.

"Does this count as work?" He asked sweetly, causing Lisbon's cheeks to glow even brighter. Minnelli smiled and walked away. Cho laughed before making his way around the car so he could face his boss. Lisbon gave him a grateful smile, dimmed slightly by her weariness.

"I can't give you a kiss like that, but I'm sure a hug will do." Cho remarked with a shrug. Lisbon smiled at him and gave him a hug, glad to see him again.

"I'm sorry for lying an-" She began, but Cho quickly cut her off.

"Don't." He stated simply. Jane smiled at the reunion even though the hug was brief.

"Thank you." Lisbon told him gratefully as she pulled away.

"You're not actually taking us to the hospital, right?" Jane asked knowingly. Cho shrugged, leading Jane and Lisbon to a black SUV parked a little behind Jane's bullet-ridden Citroen. He walked towards the driver's side, keys in hand.

"I figure we should bail out Rigsby and Van Pelt first." Cho replied. Jane opened the door and offered Lisbon a seat in the back of the car. She wearily settled into the back and Jane followed behind her.

"What'd you two do while I was gone?" She asked suspiciously, her eyelids drooping as she fought to stay awake. Jane wrapped his around her waist and pulled her towards him into a warm embrace.

"Don't worry about anything, Teresa." He whispered against her dark curls as her hair brushed against his face. She smiled slightly as she leaned into his shoulder. "We're going home." He continued, his voice soft and melodic as Cho started the car. "You're safe." He whispered. He felt her breathing slow to restful pace and he smiled down at her, his fingers gently stroking her arm.

* * *

Tuesday, 8:15 PM

Lisbon entered the office and was nearly crushed as Rigsby and Van Pelt rushed towards her excitedly. Cho and Jane followed up behind her.

"Lisbon!" Van Pelt announced happily, abruptly pulling Lisbon into a hug. She grimaced as Van Pelt unknowingly pressed against her wrist. As soon as she realized she was hurting her, Van Pelt immediately took a step back guiltily.

"You're back!" Rigsby announced, patting Lisbon on the arm.

"Are you okay?" Van Pelt asked worriedly.

"Just my wrist." Lisbon replied shyly, not used to being the center of attention.

"We were so worried!" Van Pelt explained.

"I'm fine, honestly." Lisbon assured her. Jane sidestepped the reunion and moved towards one of the cabinets at the end of the room. He pulled out a first aid kit and then carried it with him to the couch where he collapsed, finally able to relax. Cho settled down at his desk.

"Things weren't the same without you." Rigsby explained. Lisbon smiled at her colleagues.

"So I've heard." She remarked, her eyes shifting between Jane and Cho. The consultant smiled and patted the space next to him.

"Teresa, sit down." He requested. Lisbon eyed him dubiously before giving in to his sparkling blue eyes. She sat down next to him with Van Pelt hovering by her side. Rigsby walked over towards Cho, eager to know what had transpired.

Jane opened the first aid kit and Lisbon frowned.

"You were shot! You need first aid more than I do." She exclaimed. Fear flashed in Van Pelt's eyes.

"You were shot?" She asked worriedly, her eyes widening. Jane rolled his eyes.

"She's exaggerating. It stopped bleeding a while ago." He explained nonchalantly. "Now let me dress it." Jane directed, pointing at her wrist. Lisbon still seemed unsure. "Please?" Jane asked sincerely as he made a pouting face similar to a child. She sighed and surrendered her hand.

Jane gently held her hand as he rolled up her torn sleeve. He then held her hand still as he pulled out some dressing from the kit. His eyes kept glancing up to read her expression so he could make sure he didn't hurt her as he carefully wrapped the bandages around her wrist.

"What happened to your hand?" Van Pelt asked anxiously as she noticed the searing burn on Jane's palm.

"Jane's genius plan." Lisbon quipped. Jane smiled, finding her sarcasm strangely endearing. He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek that made her blush. He absolutely loved to make her blush. He returned his focus to her wrist and finished up the dressing by fastening it with medical clip.

"Thank you, Patrick." Lisbon told him gratefully, referring to more than just the bandage. Jane simply smiled in response.

"Ma'am?" A CBI agent interrupted and Jane and Van Pelt easily recognized him as one of the two agents who had been interviewing Steven earlier that day. Lisbon looked up at the man.

"Uh… yes." Lisbon answered uncertainly.

"We need a statement for the report." The agent explained and Lisbon nodded. The man left the office and waited for her in the hall. Lisbon turned to her boyfriend.

"Patrick, stay here and, Van Pelt, make sure he gets some medical attention." She ordered, assuming her role as boss. Lisbon stood up and Van Pelt took her place on the couch so she could bandage Jane's hand and arm. Just as Lisbon started walking away, Jane remembered something.

"Teresa." He stated and Lisbon turned back to him curiously. "You may want to call your brother." He explained. Lisbon paused and then nodded understandingly.

"Thanks." She told him, sincerity sparkling in her eyes. She then turned away, sparing a few glances over her shoulder as she met with the agent in the hall. Jane then caught Cho's eye. The Asian man nodded.

"I'll go." He announced, following Lisbon out of the room with Rigsby not far behind. None of them felt comfortable leaving her alone yet.

**Rigsby/Van Pelt drama and more Jisbon**** in the next chapter****!**


	23. Affairs

Chapter 23: Affairs

Tuesday, 8:40 PM

Jane was impressed with Van Pelt's nursing skills as she wrapped a bandage around his hand. An incessant smile was plastered on her face now that the team was back together. She finished with his hand and then signaled for Jane to turn so she could examine his arm. Jane complied.

"Shirt off." Van Pelt ordered, unable to get to the wound near his shoulder. Jane laughed a little.

"You know I'm not exactly available." Jane remarked and Van Pelt gave him an even glare, a hint of a smile threatening to break out on her lips. Jane laughed, pulled off his vest, and then unbuttoned his shirt before taking it off. Van Pelt tried not to look at his bare chest as she focused on the wound on his upper arm. Jane grinned and couldn't help but exploit the awkwardness of the situation.

"Like what you see?" He teased. Van Pelt expected him to say something like that and was already prepared with a reply.

"I think you need to work out." She countered and Jane's smile fell, hurt by her words.

"I'm perfectly fit." He defended.

"If you say so." Van Pelt quipped and Jane couldn't hold back a little laugh.

Dry blood stained his arm and accumulated around the flesh wound. Van Pelt's eyes saddened as she used a washcloth to clean his wound. Then she grabbed some rubbing alcohol and poured some onto the cloth. Jane closed his eyes and prepared himself for the stinging pain. She gently dabbed it on the wound and Jane gasped and clenched his teeth at the pain.

"Sorry," Van Pelt apologized as she reached for the bandages.

"It's okay." Jane told her, still cringing at the lingering pain.

"Almost done." She assured him as she signaled for him to raise his arm. He obeyed and Van Pelt wrapped the bandages around his arm and shoulder. When she was finished, she fixed Jane with a pleasant smile. He returned the smile as he slowly reached over and grabbed his shirt and vest.

"Thank you," he told her gratefully.

"You're welcome." Van Pelt closed the first aid kit, got to her feet, and then placed the box on her desk. Jane also stood and moved towards his desk, which was seldom used for anything besides storage. Jane shuffled through the drawers until he found a clean white buttoned down shirt. He slipped on the clean shirt, but didn't button it. He tossed the bloody shirt into the drawer and didn't bother putting on his vest and instead just held it in his hand as he followed Van Pelt out of the office. They silently agreed to find their colleagues and headed down the hall and towards the elevators.

"I see you're prepared." Van Pelt commented, pointing to the clean shirt.

"I would've been a great boy scout." Jane shrugged.

"How are you feeling?" Van Pelt asked kindly. Jane grinned.

"Better." He replied simply. "You?" Van Pelt shrugged.

"I'm not hurt." She reminded him, but he just eyed her expectantly, knowing that this whole situation had been hard on the junior agent. "Better." She answered. They reached the elevators and Van Pelt pressed the down arrow. She paused. "I've been thinking about what you said… about Rigsby and me." She confessed hesitantly, her eyes trained on the elevator doors.

"Have you?" Jane remarked nonchalantly, pretending he didn't know she would. The elevator arrived and they both stepped on. The doors closed and after another moment of silence, Van Pelt finally said what she wanted to say.

"I just want to be sure." She admitted, still unable to look the consultant in the eye. Jane glanced at her knowingly. "I don't want to regret anything." She finished with a shrug. Jane smiled slyly as he turned to face the red-haired woman. Van Pelt glanced at him nervously, not liking the look in his eyes. He watched her intently before taking a step closer to the agent. Confusion flashed in Van Pelt's eyes.

"You love him." Jane pointed out, leaning in so she could almost hear his heartbeat. She frowned, realizing that Jane was hitting on her. It was the only way she could interpret his behavior. Nothing else could explain why an attractive man with his shirt open would lean in so close, to the point that they were almost touching and with his face mere inches from hers. "You'll see." He told her smoothly. Van Pelt was about to shove him away and give him a lecture on personal space when the elevator doors opened onto the second floor.

"Hi, Rigsby." Jane remarked with a cheery 100-watt grin. Van Pelt turned her head and froze, her unofficial boyfriend standing in front of the elevator and witnessing her in a very compromising position. Rigsby's brown eyes darkened dangerously as he frowned at the scene in front of him. Van Pelt quickly pulled away from the consultant, while Jane just smiled. Lisbon was right beside Rigsby with Cho hovering behind them. Cho shared Jane's amused grin while Lisbon just looked utterly confused.

"I finally figured it out." Rigsby stated angrily, clenching his fist. Jane grinned.

"I don't think you did." He replied knowingly.

"Rigsby! What are you doing?" Van Pelt shrieked as Rigsby rushed Jane and punched him in the face. The consultant fell backwards and collapsed against the wall, his hand immediately moving to cover his nose and dropping his black vest.

"What… what was that for?" He sputtered as he slid to the floor of the elevator.

"I can't believe you would steep so low." Rigsby snapped angrily, disbelief shining his eyes. "You and Van Pelt. You're going around behind my back!" He announced, clearly heartbroken. "You knew I liked her and-" He continued, but Jane interrupted, his hand still covering his nose.

"Me and Van Pelt?" He asked in disbelief as he struggled to get to his feet. He then moved towards Rigsby after recovering from the heavy blow. The agent was taller than Jane, but the consultant stood his ground nonetheless. "You think I'm with Van Pelt?" He questioned incredulously. Lisbon's laughter caught everyone's attention and they all turned to look at their boss. Jane frowned curiously at his girlfriend. "You're laughing at me." He stated plainly, surprised by her reaction. He had expected confusion or anger, not laughter. Lisbon covered her mouth to restrain her laughing fit.

"It's funny." She admitted as she stepped onto the elevator while Cho kept the doors open. Jane kept frowning. "Oh come on! You had it coming." She remarked honestly. Jane tilted his head. It was his turn to be confused.

"You think Rigsby breaking my nose is funny?" He asked. He pulled his hand away from his nose and was surprised to find he wasn't bleeding. He moved his nose a little to make sure it wasn't actually broken.

"Yes. I think it's hilarious." Lisbon remarked honestly with a smile still on her lips. "And your nose isn't broken. Stop being dramatic." She added. Jane couldn't help but match her smile. She had already figured out his plan.

Rigsby just stared at Jane with wide eyes, utterly confused. "But I heard you." He explained. "After the fundraising dinner, at her apartment. I heard your voice." He furthered and Jane was actually surprised by this, his mind flashing back to the night he had first kissed Lisbon. After the kiss he had gone to Van Pelt for advice and Rigsby had been passed out on the couch in her living room. Apparently, he hadn't been as drunk as Jane had thought.

"Really?" Lisbon asked, turning to Jane, her eyes expressing intrigue. Jane rolled his eyes.

"I asked Van Pelt for advice." He explained candidly. "You asked Cho. I asked Van Pelt. We're even." He added. Lisbon stared at him bemusedly.

"How did you-" She tried to ask how he knew about her talk with Cho, but he interrupted, his eyes focusing yet again on Rigsby.

"Van Pelt isn't cheating on you and she's _definitely_ not having an affair with me." He explained directly. Rigsby still seemed unsure.

"But you two are always having private conversations and you kept flirting with her…" He cited all the evidence, but was interrupted by Cho's laugh.

"You're so clueless." Cho remarked, clearly enjoying the drama.

"What was I supposed to think?" Rigsby countered in his defense. He simply couldn't believe Jane's story. Jane sighed and tried again to explain himself.

"I'm-" Before he could even begin he was silenced by Lisbon's lips as she grabbed him, cupped her hands around his face, and gave him a forceful kiss. Just as Jane started to process what Lisbon was doing, she pulled away leaving him dazed. She turned to Rigsby and crossed her arms, having proved her point. Rigsby stared at them with wide eyes, Cho was doing all he could to keep from laughing, and Van Pelt was just smiling sweetly, having never seen the two lovers kiss before.

"Wait." Rigsby stated uncertainly. "You and Jane are… together?" He asked, realizing it for the first time.

"So clueless…" Cho remarked. Rigsby just stared at the couple, both of them smiling now. Lisbon sighed.

"Now it's out." She announced, shifting into boss mode. "We keep this between ourselves. No one outside the team needs to know… otherwise Jane or Van Pelt may be reassigned." She explained. "And I want it clear that personal and professional life are to be distinctly separated and that anyone who breaks that rule will be reprimanded." She added firmly.

"Touching speech." Jane teased. "I think you have successfully intimidated them." He told her sarcastically. Lisbon turned and flashed him a glare.

"You're on thin ice." She told him seriously, yet her playful green eyes contradicted her tone.

"But I didn't even retaliate!" Jane defended, feigning innocence. Lisbon gave him a look that said 'are you serious?' "He's the one that punched me!" Jane added, pointing at Rigsby. Lisbon tried to hold back a smile as she flashed him one last glare before turning back to Rigsby and Van Pelt, who in the meantime had started staring at each other.

"Go home and take tomorrow off." She told them before pulling Jane and Cho off the elevator with her. Jane was barely able to grab his vest off the floor as she forced them out. Neither Rigsby nor Van Pelt had a chance to protest as the doors closed, leaving them alone together.

Lisbon then turned to Jane, who was grinning incessantly while buttoning and tucking in his shirt. "Don't think I don't know that you just planned all that." She told him with a clever smile. Jane slipped on his vest, but left it unbuttoned.

"I didn't know he'd hit me that hard. I thought there would be some form of resistance to punching a friend in the face." Jane shrugged candidly. Lisbon frowned.

"You set this whole thing up from the beginning." She explained knowingly, her eyes then drifted to Cho. "Both of you did." She furthered confidently. "_You_ brought us here so Rigsby would catch Jane and Van Pelt in the elevator." She told Cho, who didn't even bother denying it.

"You were asleep in the car." He explained simply. While Lisbon had slept, Jane and Cho had hatched their final plot to get Rigsby and Van Pelt officially together. Lisbon turned back to Jane with a disapproving frown.

"Oh, come on, Teresa!" Jane pleaded. "You're not really mad at me." He explained and her eyes softened slightly. "Rigsby just needed to prove to Van Pelt that he'd fight for her." Jane explained, having their best interests at heart. "And if you thought my plan was so crazy, you wouldn't have purposefully put them in the elevator alone together." He added with a clever grin. Lisbon really couldn't argue with his last point. She shrugged, her eyes shifting nervously.

"I want them to be happy." She defended and Jane just smiled at her.

"I need to get myself a girlfriend." Cho remarked suddenly, feeling like the only single man left in the CBI building. He looked at Lisbon. "I'm glad you're back, boss." He told her honestly. Lisbon smiled.

"Thanks to you, Cho." She commented. Jane made a pouting face as Lisbon gave Cho all the credit. Lisbon turned to Jane. "_You _nearly got me shot." She added with a playful grin.

"Ungrateful." Jane muttered sarcastically as Cho turned around and left Jane and Lisbon alone in the hallway. He hadn't been home in two days and was looking forward to a well-deserved day-off. Jane watched Cho leave before facing Lisbon excitedly. "If we hurry, we can see if our plan worked or not." He told her, his blue eyes brimming with enthusiasm.

"_Our_ plan?" Lisbon asked skeptically.

"I'm willing to share credit." Jane shrugged. Lisbon smiled as Jane lightly took her hand and led her down the hall and towards the stairs.

"Credit or blame?" Lisbon quipped as they headed towards the parking lot to find Rigsby and Van Pelt.

**Thank you for the reviews! Two chapters left and the last one will be all Jisbon... :)**


	24. Reconciliations

**Thank you for the reviews! I'm sorry this is a short chapter.**

Chapter 24: Reconciliations

Tuesday, 9:03 PM

Jane still held Lisbon's hand as they ducked behind some parked cars in the CBI parking lot. Lisbon felt a little uncomfortable spying on her colleagues, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"I don't see them." She whispered as Jane led her through the lot. He then paused and ducked down, expecting Lisbon to do the same. He released her hand and rested his own on the hood of a car as he watched for any movement. Lisbon followed Jane's example.

"Patience." He whispered in reply. Just then Rigsby and Van Pelt appeared, Rigsby kindly walking her to her Jeep. They were silent as they ventured through the dark. Lisbon and Jane could only see the vague outlines of their faces. Van Pelt suddenly paused and Rigsby did the same.

"Are we going to talk about what just happened?" She asked uncertainly. Rigsby hesitated.

"Uh… I'm embarrassed." He confessed shyly, wishing he could take back everything he had done. He feared that Jane and Van Pelt hated him now.

"You were jealous of Jane and me?" She asked incredulously, still in a state of disbelief. "He's just a friend." She assured him.

"He played me." Rigsby defended. Van Pelt sighed and turned back towards her car, but Rigsby stopped her by gently placing his hand on her arm. She turned back to face him and she was surprised by the sweet sincerity in his eyes. "Grace…," he paused, "I love you." He told her softly, without even the slightest hint of doubt. Van Pelt froze, unable to tear her eyes away from his.

Lisbon leaned towards Jane so she could whisper in his ear.

"Question: do you think it's a little too soon to say 'I love you?'" She asked in a quiet voice, sheer curiosity in her eyes. Jane's gaze remained fixed on Rigsby and Van Pelt, but he smiled at her question.

"Are we talking about us or them?" He asked.

"I see you caught the subtle connection." Lisbon confessed shyly.

"If you mean it, I don't think it really matters when you say it." Jane answered, glancing at the woman squatting beside him.

They both returned their eyes to the drama unfolding in front of them as Van Pelt finally summoned a reply.

"I love you too." She told him quietly. Rigsby smiled brightly and, without asking for permission this time, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her towards him and into a kiss. She didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

"This would make for a terrific soap opera." Jane remarked and Lisbon slapped him playfully on the arm for interrupting the sweet moment. "You know I was shot in that arm." Jane commented. Lisbon shrugged with a teasing smile.

"Flesh wound." She corrected him and Jane laughed a little.

Van Pelt wrapped her arms around Rigsby's neck and he almost picked her up off the ground as he got lost in the passionate kiss. They finally decided it would be best not to kiss in the center of a parking lot and broke away, both gasping for air as they did.

"What do we do now?" Rigsby asked uncertainly. Van Pelt grinned at him whole-heartedly as she gently grabbed his hand and cradled it in hers. She leaned towards him and rested her head against his chest. Rigsby then wrapped his arms around her, still processing the fact that Van Pelt loved him.

Lisbon finally felt the pangs of guilt returning as she watched her two agents confess their love for each other. She grabbed Jane's hand and pulled him away from the scene. Jane came reluctantly with a cheery grin on his face at having succeeded in pushing Rigsby and Van Pelt together.

"They're cute together." Lisbon remarked once they had lost sight of the couple.

"All they needed was a slight nudge in the right direction." Jane explained.

"Is that what you call it? A slight nudge?" Lisbon asked sarcastically, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "When did you become a matchmaker?" She questioned. Jane grinned.

"After I won you over." He replied sweetly.

"Charming." Lisbon remarked, unable to resist staring into his beautiful blue eyes.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." Jane told her as he wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked to the car.


	25. Kisses

**After 25 chapters, I've put Jane and Lisbon through a lot... so here is the last chapter and I hope it meets your expectations. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story! I never would have finished had it not been for all of you!**

**The episode tonight was terrific! His gift for Teresa was so cute! (I don't want to spoil it.) I can't believe it! Also, after an exhausting two-day golf tournament involving 36 holes in the rain and fog, I was so happy when I came home to watch Patrick Jane with a golf club! He called them big fat sticks. Ha ha! :)**

**He called golf _easy_! I would love to challenge him. Sorry for the long author's note, but I'm ecstatic!**

**Rated T  
**

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Chapter 25: Kisses

Tuesday, 9:46 PM

Jane followed Lisbon into her apartment. Both Lisbon and Jane's respective cars had been totaled so Jane had driven them home in one of the state-issued SUV's belonging to CBI. He tossed the keys on the counter with a little bit of resentment. Lisbon noticed this and turned towards the consultant.

"I'm sorry about your car." She told him sincerely. Jane turned to her and his face brightened suddenly.

"No worries. I'll get it fixed." He replied as he headed towards her couch and collapsed on one end. Lisbon followed and settled down next to the consultant.

"Patrick, your car is riddled with bullet holes." She reminded him. "It'd be more cost efficient if you just buy a new one."

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to find that one, especially in that color?" Jane remarked. He paused. "I guess I could get a new one in a different color." He shrugged, missing the car he had.

"I don't know." Lisbon shrugged. "I think sky blue suits you." She added. Jane glanced at her, amusement shining in his eyes.

"So you _do_ like my car." He commented. Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure your car can even be considered street legal." She countered. Jane shrugged.

"Well, _now_ it can't." He admitted, a little sad. Lisbon sympathized and leaned into him, placing a light kiss on his cheek in an effort to make him feel better. Jane smiled faintly as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her towards him so she could rest her head against his chest.

"Patrick…" She began. "I think it goes without saying that you can stay here tonight if you want." She offered with a shy smile. Jane returned her smile.

"That's good because otherwise I'd have to stake out your apartment from _my_-" Jane paused to correct himself, "-_the_ car, which is a lot less comfortable." He admitted with a grin. Lisbon sighed and raised her head to look him in the eye.

"No one's after me." She told him honestly.

"You don't know that." Jane teased. He knew that Lisbon was safe now, but he still felt it'd be at least a week before he'd let her out his sight. He lifted his hand and traced a line down her cheek until he could raise her chin slightly. His blue eyes were thoughtful as they peered into hers. "I thought I lost you today." He confessed sadly, wanting her to see how worried he had been. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes a little sad.

"You don't have to worry about me." She told him in a quiet voice. Jane moved his fingers across her cheek and then to the back of her neck so she could toy with her dark curls. He felt her shiver under his warm touch.

"I know… but I do." He said softly, leaning in and giving her another tender but brief kiss on the lips. She smiled.

"We're okay." Lisbon whispered against his lips. Jane grinned.

"We're perfect." He replied, leaning in for a longer kiss. Lisbon smiled as she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back against the arm of the couch. He obeyed and shifted his body, his lips never leaving hers as he pulled his legs onto the couch and Lisbon settled herself on top of him. She could feel Jane's heart beat faster as his hand held to her hip before slipping down her leg.

Lisbon cringed slightly at the stinging pain on her face as Jane gently kissed her cheek. The pain didn't bother her, but reminded her of the faint scars on her face.

"Patrick, I don't look that great." She told him uncertainly. Jane paused and pulled back so he could read her expression.

"You're beautiful to me." He told her sincerely, still holding her close to him. Lisbon's looked away shyly as her cheeks glowed a deep shade of red. "Does everything I say make you blush?" Jane asked sweetly with a small smile. He tilted his head so he could meet her eyes. "I love it when you blush." He said softly.

"I have pale skin…I-" Lisbon explained, but Jane silenced her with another brief kiss, unable to resist pressing his lips against her smile. "Maybe you're right." She corrected and Jane's grin widened.

"I am." He responded confidently, his breath warm against her skin.

"Not at all conceited." Lisbon remarked sarcastically before her hands slipped under Jane's shirt and he gasped in response, shifting his position under her. Lisbon smiled at this, liking how he could manipulate the blond-haired man.

Lisbon's thoughts drifted back to when she had caught Jane in the elevator with his shirt open. She began to wonder what he looked like with his shirt off, having never seen him without his suit. Her fingers traced the contours of his body and temptation got the best of her as her tongue danced along his lips. She pulled her hands out from under his shirt and moved them to his collar, where she slowly started to pull at the buttons. Her excitement clouded her senses and she didn't notice the subtle change in the way Jane kissed her, the nervous hesitation as he tried to pull away. She didn't notice anything was wrong until Jane's hand clasped over hers, stopping her from taking off his shirt. She froze, her green eyes daring to meet his. He seemed nervous, doubt dimming the brightness in his eyes.

She immediately regretted her action, having thought Jane was ready when he obviously wasn't.

"Sorry," she whispered, her eyes darting away from his as she abruptly pulled away from him, got to her feet, and headed straight for her bedroom, unintentionally slamming the door a little too hard as she left disappointed.

Jane didn't move, his eyes staring at the ceiling as she disappeared. He cringed when she slammed the door and felt frustration welling up inside of him. He had no idea why he had stopped her. He had every intention of going all the way, committing himself solely to her… and yet he had felt fear when she started taking off his shirt. He wanted to prove to her that he really did love her, that he was moving on after his family's murder, and that he didn't hold any reservations about them as a couple.

She deserved better, but he couldn't bring himself to let go of his wife completely. He was still close to her in strange way. When he was alone, he'd talk to her, pretend she was more than just an apparition resulting from his sleep-deprived mind. He had emptied his house of everything that reminded him of his wife and daughter, but couldn't bring himself to take off his wedding ring. He held up his hand and examined the ring clinging to his finger as it reflected the light.

Jane had never gotten to say goodbye… to make the transition from happily married man to grieving widow. One moment his life was perfect and the next it was all in pieces. He had thought he had overcome the emotional barriers, but only now did he realize the real reason they even existed and why he was overwhelmed by guilt at the idea of having sex with Lisbon.

He knew Lisbon wasn't replacing her. To be honest, his wife and Lisbon were very different in many ways. He knew that he wanted to be with Lisbon, that it hurt to reject her, and that she didn't deserve to be put second.

He never put her second.

In his mind, Lisbon had become his priority long before they started dating. His purpose in life had slowly become more than just pursuing Red John as he focused on finding new ways to make Lisbon blush, to annoy her, or to just make her smile. Sure, Jane still intended to make Red John pay for what he did to his innocent wife and daughter, and he wasn't going to let Lisbon stop him, but now there was more to his life than revenge. He had Lisbon. He wanted to keep Lisbon.

He gently held his ring and lifted it off his finger. It didn't resist and came off willingly as if it too agreed it was time. Jane smiled slightly, the ring holding with it so many memories he knew he'd never forget. He then set the ring on the coffee table, got to his feet, and entered Lisbon's bedroom with renewed confidence.

Lisbon deserved better… he loved her.

Jane entered the room unannounced and found Lisbon standing to his left by the dresser. One of the drawers was open and she was about to pull out her pajamas, but paused as she heard Jane quietly slip into the room and close the door behind him. She didn't look up or acknowledge his presence because she wasn't sure what to say. Jane moved towards the dresser and leaned against the side, his eyes trained on Lisbon. She still tried to ignore him, hoping he would leave her alone for a little while so she could regain control of her emotions. After all, it had been a hard few days and they had both been through a lot. Maybe it was best if they just spent some time apart.

Jane tilted his head curiously, watching her eyes intently until she couldn't bear it any longer. She sighed in defeat and reluctantly lifted her gaze to see Jane. Now that he had her attention, his gaze drifted to the pajamas in the drawer.

"You won't need those." He remarked with a sly grin. Lisbon sighed again, using her hand to brush some stray strands of hair behind her ear. Her eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

"Patrick, I'm not pushing." She told him directly in a soft understanding voice, while turning her body to face him. She wasn't mad at him. She was disappointed, but she could never blame Jane. "I know it's hard for you and-" She tried to explain, but Jane interrupted.

"Teresa, I love you." He stated nonchalantly, his lips curving into a cheery, sincere smile. Lisbon froze, not expecting Jane to actually say it. His smiled brightened at her surprised reaction. Her gaze drifted to the floor as she tried to formulate a response. He waited expectantly.

"I know you do." She told him in a quiet voice. "I love you too." She added sincerely, holding eye contact for a moment before her gaze shyly returned to the floor. A light shade of red tinted her cheeks as she tried to hide a smile.

"You're blushing again." Jane observed with a grin. Lisbon surrendered, a smile gracing her lips.

"If you point it out every time you'll run out of breath." She quipped, her eyes meeting his. Jane moved towards her and Lisbon wasn't sure how to respond.

Then she noticed something was different about him and it took her a moment to figure out what. She realized his golden wedding ring was absent from his finger and she immediately turned her questioning eyes to meet his. Jane knew that she had noticed and he smiled faintly.

"I want to be with you." He told her, his eyes soft and thoughtful. He lightly placed his hands on her hips and she let him, her attention centered on his eyes. "Today proved that I can't wait forever." He explained, willing to wait for Lisbon's reply.

Lisbon had no idea how to respond. She was never really good at expressing how she felt, especially not in words. It helped that Jane could read her so easily. His grin never faded and suddenly Lisbon decided a smile was all she could give him.

"You're seducing me." She pointed out with an air of mischief in her bright green eyes. Jane pulled her a little closer.

"Probably… but you like it." He whispered in her ear and she shivered, knowing she had no ability to resist his tempting smile. She leaned in and initiated the kiss, cupping her hands around his face.

The next thing she knew she was lying on her bed with Jane on top of her. She had finally gotten his shirt off and was now running her fingers along his bare chest and along his back. Jane's hands unfastened her belt while placing featherlike kisses down her neck. She shifted below him as his touch sent shivers down her spine. Then her breathing hitched as he slid his hands under her shirt, a smile never leaving his lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

His hands now worked diligently on her shirt until he'd pulled off all the buttons and it easily slid off her shoulders. He returned his lips to hers and moaned as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She grinned against his lips and encircled her arms around his neck, her fingers stringing through his blond curls.

Her mind was focused on the rush she felt as he touched her and her uncontrollable excitement as everything in her life was finally coming together, all her fear and anger long forgotten as she peered into Patrick Jane's bright blue eyes.

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Wednesday, 1:22 AM

Lisbon was tired and yet she found herself awake after a few hours of deep, restful sleep. She had been pleasantly content in Jane's arms as she had drifted to sleep, but now her mind was racing as it tried to process all the significant changes in her life that had occurred in only the last two days. Her eyes were still closed, but she was consciously aware of the man resting beside her with his arm draped across her waist. Her back was to him, yet she could feel his warm breath against her neck and his body pressed against hers.

He loved her. She loved him.

She felt her heart beat faster as the memories of his sweet voice echoed in her mind. Dreams she had always thought beyond her reach were now a reality and now her subconscious no longer needed to invent dreams involving the blond-haired consultant. She'd rather be awake to enjoy his company than sleep and imagine being with him.

She smiled slightly, her eyes still closed.

Jane shifted beside her and Lisbon, enthralled in her thoughts, didn't feel him lean in towards her ear.

"I feel the same way, Teresa." He whispered and she opened her eyes, glancing sideways at Jane who was sitting up slightly, hovering next to her. She blushed in the dark, surprised to find the consultant was awake. She began to wonder if the man ever truly slept.

"How'd you know I was awake?" Lisbon asked curiously. She could faintly distinguish his light smile in the dark bedroom.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask how I knew what you were thinking." He replied, his voice still quiet and soothing.

"Well then I wouldn't get a straight answer." Lisbon told him knowingly. He settled back down on the pillow and Lisbon turned over so she could face him. He lay there in silence just staring at her before finally giving an answer.

"Your breathing changed…" He explained quietly, "and you were smiling." Jane observed, brushing his fingers along her chin as he placed a brief kiss on her cheek. "You should go back to sleep." He added softly and Lisbon didn't resist, swiftly drifting to sleep.

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Wednesday, 9:36 AM

Teresa Lisbon opened her eyes and was blinded by the morning sun shining through her curtains. She slowly processed her surroundings. She stretched out on the bed and suddenly noticed she was alone. Jane was nowhere to be seen.

Lisbon frowned curiously and sat up slightly, pulling the cover with her so she could hide her naked body. His clothes were no longer strewn on the floor, but hers were. His shoes were gone and she listened carefully, but heard nothing in her apartment.

There were a few valid reasons why Jane could have left her apartment so early in the morning. Her first thought was that Jane regretted last night, but she quickly disregarded that idea, absolutely positive that Jane wouldn't do that to her. Her second plausible reason was that he had gone home to get a new, clean change of clothes. Her third idea was that he went to get breakfast because her refrigerator was empty and they hadn't eaten dinner.

She lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes, satisfied with her reasoning. She had no need to worry about the blond-haired consultant. After all, she had a day off.

She was on the verge of losing consciousness when she recognized the faint sound of her front door clicking open. The sound was followed by a distant whisper and the quick pattering of footsteps down the hall and towards her room. Just as she started to think how strange the sounds were, something jumped on the mattress and she suddenly opened her eyes to find a dog standing on her bed looking down at her. She stared; shocked to find a familiar black and white border collie eyeing her cheerily. Her tail wagged incessantly as if proud she had found her. Lisbon's lips curved into a smile.

"Hi there, sweetie." She greeted sweetly, her eyes softening as she reached out and pet the dog on the head. The dog licked her hand excitedly. "Patrick!" She called, her voice hinting at anger. Jane must have been waiting by the door because he appeared suddenly in the doorway with an innocent smile dancing on his face.

"Yes, honey?" He answered sweetly. Lisbon kept frowning even though the way he said 'honey' was so exaggerated that she wanted to laugh. She kept petting the dog that had belonged to Andrew Till, the murder victim from two days before.

"Why is there a dog in my apartment?" Lisbon asked plainly, expecting a direct answer.

"Hailey Till was going to give her to a shelter so I said I would take her." Jane explained honestly with a nonchalant shrug. Lisbon eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh, so it was just a spontaneous thing? You just happened to be walking by her house early Wednesday morning?" She asked skeptically and Jane just shrugged again with a comical grin.

"Something like that." He quipped, finally taking a step into the threshold. He was wearing a clean beige vest and white shirt and Lisbon could tell he had showered already. He must have left earlier than she had originally thought. Jane walked towards the bed and plopped down next to Lisbon, the dog lying down between them. "Her name's Lily." He remarked as he stroked Lily's back. The dog rolled over happily and Jane enthusiastically rubbed her belly. Lisbon couldn't resist a smile as she witnessed the adorable scene in front of her.

She hated the fact that logic was bombarding her mind with numerous reasons why they couldn't keep Lily. She sighed sadly.

"Patrick… we can't keep a dog in my apartment." She stated simply. Jane ignored her reservations.

"Sure we can." He replied confidently as he blew air on the dog's ear. Lily jumped every time and snapped in his direction as if fighting off the air. Jane grinned.

"I don't have a yard and we both work." Lisbon explained. Jane glanced up at her eyes and shrugged.

"She can stay at my house during the day and we can pick her up on our way home from work." He answered, turning back to the young dog.

"You don't have a fence." Lisbon reminded him.

"I'll build one." Jane replied. Lisbon raised an eyebrow. Jane laughed a little. "I'll hire someone to build one." He corrected, turning back to the border collie. "She's cute." He remarked.

"She's adorable." Lisbon agreed, wanting desperately to give in to Jane's childlike reasoning.

"You so want to keep her." Jane observed, watching her intently. Lily enjoyed the attention as she stared up at the two people. Jane leaned back on the pillow, hugging the dog as he did. "She reminds you of your dog as a kid." He added knowingly and Lisbon wondered how he could possibly know about her childhood pet. Jane turned to her and put on a puppy dogface, his blue eyes hopeful. "Please, Mom? Can we keep her?" He whined. Her gaze drifted between Jane and the dog and she immediately knew she had lost, but she didn't mind, secretly wanting to keep Lily.

"Fine, but only if you never call me Mom again." She agreed, fighting back a smile. "It's a little creepy considering we slept together." She pointed out with a sly grin. Jane laughed, victory shining in his eyes.

"Fair enough." He replied. He then got to his feet. "Do you want a treat, Lily?" He asked Lily as he excitedly gestured for the dog to follow him out of the room. Jane had already been to the pet store earlier that morning and had bought pet food, treats, a leash, a bed, and a few toys. Jane was going to spoil Lily rotten. Lisbon smiled.

"I'm going back to sleep, Patrick, and if you wake me again I'll kick you to the curb and the dog can take your place!" Lisbon called after him in a playful tone. She heard him pause in the hall and return to the door with Lily following by his side. He feigned a nervous grin as he quietly closed the door to the bedroom. Lisbon couldn't help but think how cute he was when he was nervous.

"Sleep well, Teresa." He whispered, leaving Lisbon by herself again. She lay back down on the bed. A stubborn smile graced her lips and refused to let her sleep.

Patrick Jane sure was unpredictable.

THE END

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**I'm addicted (if you couldn't tell). You know I can't possibly end a story there!**

**Well, I am.**

**But I'm considering writing a sequel to this sequel (a triquel?), simply because I love building their relationship and it's really fun.**

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate each and every one!**

**If you're interested in a sequel, please leave a review.**


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